Shadow of a Phoenix
by Halifax898
Summary: A young woman awakens to imprisonment in a Cobra facility with no memory of what her life had been prior to that room. Cobra seems to be very interested in her for some reason. Eventually, she gains her freedom and finds herself in the custody of the Joes. What friendships will she make? Will something special blossom between Snake eyes and her? What will her past reveal? SE/OC
1. Midnight's Shadow

A plain room sat well back within the confines of the hidden Cobra base. It was simple; white walls and a metal floor. A small cot with a single pillow and a nightstand sat in one corner, while the rest of the room lay bare. Or so it seemed. Upon closer inspection, a person could notice someone crumpled in the corner. This person, now visible to be a young woman, started to stir from her unconscious state.

Her eyes blinked, blurring at first as they tried to adjust. She propped herself up on one elbow as she struggled to raise herself into a sitting position. This was a much more trying task than one would be led to believe.

She doubled over, clutching desperately at her stomach as pain ratcheted through her entire body. It felt as if her veins themselves were on fire; like molten lava racing through her body, igniting it. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes so tightly shut that tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. But she would not cry. She refused to cry.

A few minutes later, the pain subsided and the woman, albeit hesitantly, moved to straighten herself up further until her back was resting against the wall. Even though this seemed to be such a simple task, the woman was breathing hard. Probably an after effect of the flash of pain she had felt a moment before. She waited there, her head resting back against the wall as she stared at the ceiling and waited for her breathing to become regular and her pulse to slow. About a few minutes later, she was calm and serene. Slowly, she raised her head to look at the room, her eyes skimming over everything within sight, seeming to not miss a single detail.

"When had she been brought in here?" she thought to herself in confusion. "Then again, where was here?"

The woman reached up a hand to massage the back of her head, as if she had an injury there. She did it without even realizing it as she continued to survey the room with a growing panic as she tried to recall. But she couldn't remember anything.

She stiffened as she wracked her mind, trying to remember something before this room. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She felt a growing dread crawl over her as it slowly dawned on her.

She couldn't remember a single thing before waking up in this room. Not her name. Not her childhood. Not her home. She couldn't even remember what color her own hair or eyes were.

Reaching up a trembling hand, she found a long lock of hair that was escaping from a loose ponytail behind her head. "Black. Her hair was black," she told herself quietly and tucked the stray lock behind her ear. She cast a glance around the room until it rested on what appeared to be a tray filled with food sitting on a nightstand next to the cot.

Carefully, using the wall as a brace, the dark haired woman climbed to her feet. She tried to be gentle, hoping to avoid whatever that pain was. It seemed to work because as she rose, no pain flared to life. Slowly, she shuffled a few feet until she stood before the nightstand, eyeing the tray warily.

It consisted of nothing more than a few pieces of bread and a cup of water. A white napkin was tucked neatly under the plate, with both a knife and a fork resting on either side of the plate.

"Why would someone need a fork or a knife to eat bread?" she asked herself silently. The dark haired woman paused for a split second to consider her surroundings once more. "How did I know what these were even called? Even the food. How do I know that's bread and yet I can't even remember my own name?" She growled to herself in frustration, the sound breaking the silence of the room for a split second.

The young woman reached over and grabbed the knife as she settled herself onto the cot. Raising it so that she could see her reflection in its shine, she angled it so that she could see her eyes. "Blue. So I have black hair and blue eyes…and very pale skin," she added dryly and she saw her skin reflecting the light overhead, making her almost look like she had a glow about her.

She set the knife slowly back down onto the tray and eyed the meal warily. She didn't remember anyone bringing it in. Then again, she didn't even know anyone. She didn't even know herself. Her head snapped up as she looked over at the large white metal door directly across the room from where she sat on her cot, a question forming in her mind.

Once again, she gingerly rose to her feet to avoid causing another strange wash of pain before she moved across the floor and rested her hand on the door handle. She gave a gentle tug and was immediately met with resistance.

The door was locked.

So she was a prisoner then? Was she some sort of criminal locked up in a jail somewhere? Or maybe she was being held hostage? She shook her head, not knowing the answer.

Reclaiming her seat on the cot with a sigh, she found her eyes drifting over to the tray of food. She couldn't even remember if she was hungry or not. This thought amused her slightly, despite the situation in which she found herself.

She grabbed the bread and raised it to her lips. She hesitated for a moment, a wild thought passing through her already stressed mind that maybe it was drugged or poisoned. After considering this for a few brief moments, the dark haired woman decided that she was simply being paranoid and bit into the bread. Suddenly finding that she was hungry, she ravenously ate the bread, not stopping to taste it. It felt like she hadn't eaten anything in days. In a matter of seconds, all the bread disappeared along with the water from the cup.

Satisfied with at least having had something to eat, she leaned back farther onto the cot until her shoulder blades found the cool surface of the wall. She sat there for so long that she lost track of time. It could have been mere seconds, minutes, even hours. She just sat there, trying to understand why she was locked in this room, but to no avail. The answers would not come. They were completely beyond her reach.

Suddenly, a noise snapped her out of her reverie as her blue eyes focused on the source.

The door was unlocking, the door handle turning. She found herself holding her breath as she watched, every muscle in her body tensed like a spring, ready to jump up and run out of the room if she had to. Though, inwardly, she hoped that the person might answer a few of her questions.

A second later the door swung open and in strode a man. He appeared to be Japanese, she noticed as she observed his tanned skin and his hard brown almond eyes. Long dark hair hung disheveled around his head. He was clad in a well-fitting white suit that was clearly designed to give the wearer a free range of movement. Even his hands were covered in soft white gloves. A strap wound its way diagonally across his chest in order to secure two long katanas to his back, their hilts just visible over each shoulder. All in all, he looked kind of like a white ninja.

She silently wondered to herself how she even knew what a ninja was, let alone what one looked like. She remained quiet, though, as she watched the man with a wary eye as he walked into the room.

His gaze passed over the room, almost lazily, until it landed on the empty tray on her nightstand. He turned to look at her, a faint look of surprise on his features as he arched a dark eyebrow. "Finally giving up the hunger strike? I was starting to think you wouldn't give in and we'd have to start feeding you through a tube."

She tried her best to hide her confusion, but failed when she realized she couldn't help asking a question. "Hunger strike?" she asked slowly.

"Yes. You were refusing to eat any of the food we gave you," he answered, seeming slightly irritated at the fact that he had to explain to her something she apparently did.

The woman shook her head as she admitted, "I don't remember."

Although his face was as still as a statue, she could still see his surprise increase slightly. "Did the lack of food damage your memory or something?" The way he said it made it sound like he was teasing her.

"I…I don't know. I can't remember," she confessed, albeit hesitantly.

The white ninja crouched before her so that he could look her directly in the eye. "You don't remember?" When she shook her head, a faint smile crossed his lips. "Interesting. The Doctor would very much like to examine you. Maybe he can determine what happened."

"The Doctor?"

He laughed lightly, momentarily breaking his hard appearance. "He is exactly what the name says he is: a doctor." He cocked his head to the side slightly. "Do you even know me?"

She looked at him, examining each of his features closely. Did she know him? Even as she looked at him, nothing seemed even remotely familiar. He was a complete stranger to her. "No. I don't know you at all," she replied honestly, after a few minutes of looking him up and down. "I'm sorry." That last sentence caught her by surprise. Why was she apologizing? For all she knew, she was being held prisoner by this man.

To her surprise, he smiled, almost gently, at her. "Don't apologize. There is no need." He placed his hand on his chest as if to gesture to himself. "My name is Storm Shadow."

"Storm Shadow?" she asked incredulously. "I may have no memory, but I know that that isn't a typical name."

For a second, she thought she saw a flash of black rage cross his features. But in the next second it was gone. She half wondered to herself if she imagined it.

"Yes, well, you don't have a typical name either," he stated calmly.

This caught her attention. "You know my name? What is it?"

A smile played on his lips when he answered. "You may have a different name, but the one that I know you as is Midnight's Shadow."

"Midnight's Shadow?" She repeated the name over and over to herself. It felt as if it had a familiar ring to it.

He nodded.

"And where am I?" she asked.

Storm Shadow straightened up and she realized that he was just over six feet tall. "A safe place. You were very sick when we found you, so we brought you here to heal."

"Where is here? And who is this 'we' that you mentioned?" she inquired.

The white ninja looked as if he was about to answer, but stopped when a high pitched ringing interrupted him. He reached into one of the pockets on his white suit and pulled out a cell phone. How Midnight's Shadow knew that it was a cell phone, she didn't know. She was starting to just accept and go with what she automatically knew. He hit a few buttons before raising it to his ear. Before he could answer, the person on the other end of the line started talking in a hurried tone. Storm Shadow didn't say anything for a long time, just listened to whoever was talking on the phone. After a few minutes, the white ninja just said, "I will be right there." He hung up the phone and shoved it back into the pockets of his white suit before turning back to her. "I will return later to take you to see the Doctor."

Instead of waiting for a response, Storm Shadow turned on his heel and strode out of the room, locking it behind him.

Slowly, she raised her legs up onto the cot and wrapped her arms around them, drawing them to her chest like a small child. Her mind whirled with the little bit of information she had gleaned from her interaction with Storm Shadow. Her name was Midnight's Shadow, but it could still be something else. Or at least, that was what Storm Shadow seemed to think. So then why was she named Midnight's Shadow? Was it some sort of code name? Why would she have a code name? Storm Shadow had a strange name similar to her. Was his name a code name or was it his actual name? And who is he working for? Was he working alone or with some sort of group? He kept saying "we" so she had to assume that he wasn't working alone. But then, what do they want with her? Had she done something? Did it have something to do with her job? Maybe someone she knew?

Midnight's Shadow growled in frustration and moved to lay on her side on the cot. There were so many questions that didn't have answers. But at least for now, she had a name. That was progress. Still, though, the questions wouldn't get out of her mind.

She wondered about Storm Shadow, the people he worked with, and what they wanted with her. She tried to recall anything from her past that might help her determine why she was being kept here. Storm Shadow said something about her being sick and that's why she was brought here. With a jolt, she remembered the intense pain she had experienced moments before waking. Was that a part of the sickness that Storm Shadow had talked about?

The dark haired woman raised herself up onto one elbow and pulled up the hem of her white t-shirt, trying to see if there was anything that would give her a clue as to what that pain was earlier. She glanced down at her exposed stomach and saw nothing at first, but then she noticed something. A large, angry bruise was just starting to come into view along her midsection. When did she get that? It must have been recent for it to just start showing up now. Had someone at the facility she was at now done this to her? Someone like Storm Shadow? Midnight's Shadow couldn't help but feel that it was a possibility as she recalled the look of black rage that crossed his features for a brief moment when she had questioned his name.

She shook her head, trying to stir herself from her growing questions. That was when she noticed something else. Faint, almost invisible scars laced themselves around her body. They were difficult to notice and must have been from a long time ago. What had her past entailed that it would lead to something like this?

She examined her arms and for the first time noticed that her wrists were wrapped in white bandages. Lifting her fingers up to her other wrist, she began to pull away the bandages to determine just what her injury was. The bandage fell away in long white ribbons as she unwrapped it and saw exactly why those bandages were there. Long horizontal slashes arced across the inside of her wrist. It looked like they were almost healed, as if she had had this injury for more than a few weeks.

Midnight's Shadow stared at her wrist in complete shock. Had she tried to kill herself? Had she tried to slash her wrists? Had someone stopped her from dying? Is that why she was in here? Was she on some sort of radical suicide watch? That didn't explain Storm Shadow though. Why would they need a ninja in that sort of facility? No, it was more than that. She recalled what the white ninja had said when he had entered her room. Something about her being on a hunger strike. Since slashing her wrists failed, had she been trying to starve herself in order to die? Storm Shadow had also said that they were ready to resort to using a feeding tube to keep her alive. They obviously had an interest in keeping her alive. Was it just that they didn't want her to die because they cared or was there something that they wanted from her? She didn't know.

She grabbed the bandage and started to rewrap her injured wrist. That was when she noticed the marks on the inside of her elbow: injection marks from a needle. Someone had been giving her shots. She didn't remember getting shots of any kind. Did it have anything to do with her memory loss? Had they made her lose her memory? No. That didn't seem likely. Storm Shadow had seemed genuinely surprised that she had lost her memory. Unless the people he was working with had done it and not told him.

The young woman sighed heavily. So many questions, so little answers.

A/N: I hope to continue this story soon. I think I may get the newer G.I. Joe movie for Christmas and I can't really continue the story until I either get the movie or see it again. Either way, I hope to update soon.


	2. Escape

Midnight's Shadow awoke to the feeling of someone gently shaking her. Her groggy mind briefly wondered, "When had I fallen asleep?" Her bright blue eyes blinked open to see Storm Shadow hovering over her, his hands on either side of her shoulders.

"Wake up. Wake up now," he said, sounding slightly impatient.

She reached up a hand to rub her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I'm taking you to meet the Doctor." He pulled away his hands and straightened to his full height. When she didn't move right away, he said, "Get up now."

Thinking it would be best to comply with the white ninja's wishes, Midnight's Shadow straightened up from her cot. Shadow Storm took a few steps back in order to give her room to rise from the cot. When she was on her feet, he stepped up to her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her towards the door. When they emerged from the room, the dark haired woman took a second to examine her surroundings.

It was a plain looking hallway, using the same look as her room: white walls and a metal floor. A few doors were scattered down the hallway and Midnight's Shadow couldn't help but wonder if there were people like her in those rooms. About thirty feet down the hall, it intersected with another passage way. At that junction, there was a doorway. The door was open and she could see right in. A few heavily armored men sat on a few benches in the center of the room. They wore helmets that disguised their features, but Midnight's Shadow could clearly see a symbol stitched into their uniforms. It looked like some sort of snake. In the hands of, what she recognized now to be soldiers, were guns. They ranged in size from a simple hand gun to massive machine guns.

Midnight's Shadow didn't really get a chance to be surprised before Storm Shadow was pulling her down the hallway, away from the soldiers, his iron grip on her arm not letting her get very far away from him. She stumbled along, unable to keep up with his long strides. Storm Shadow seemed to notice this and slowed his pace.

"Who are those men?" she asked, unable to help herself. "The ones in that room at the end of the hallway."

Storm Shadow didn't look at her as he answered. "They work for us. They keep this place safe," was all he said.

Midnight's Shadow's eyes narrowed. She didn't like how vague he was being. She wanted to ask for more details, but thought better of it. Maybe the Doctor would be more willing to answer her questions.

They walked for several minutes. Storm Shadow expertly picked his way through the maze of corridors and through a series of rooms. The dark haired woman tried to remember the path they took, just in case she needed to make an escape. They encountered only a few people as they made their way to where the Doctor was located. All of them were armed men, each one of them dressed in the same uniform as the men she had seen in the room at the end of the hall. She noticed, once again, the snake symbol stitched into every uniform. When they passed close by one of the soldiers, the young woman saw that the snake was actually a cobra.

After the few minutes that it took them to get there, Storm Shadow led them through a door and into what appeared to be a mix between a mad scientist's lab and a doctor's office. In one corner sat a large chair, similar to one you might find in a dentist's office. A few counters were scattered around the walls, with things that you would typically find in a doctor's office: blood pressure pump, stethoscope, clipboards with charts for a patient, and assorted medicines in the cabinets. The rest of the room had tables, each one with some sort of chemistry set on top of it. Some were not being used while others had liquid pouring through their tubes. Some of the strange mixtures even had smoke coming out of them.

Standing by the chair with a medical chart in hand, was what Midnight's Shadow assumed to be the Doctor. He certainly looked like one, with a long white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck. But she saw that he had some sort of mask on over the lower half of his face. It looked like something that would aid in breathing or something of the like.

Despite herself, Midnight's Shadow started to recoil, taking an involuntary step back upon seeing his appearance. She would have backed herself up against the wall if she could, but Storm Shadow's grip on her arm held her fast.

The Doctor turned to look at the two of them, as if just noticing that they were standing there. "Come, come. I don't have all day. Storm Shadow, put her in the chair," he commanded.

The white ninja did as he was told and began to pull her towards the chair. The dark haired woman dug in her heels and refused to take another step forward. She felt panicked. A voice inside her was screaming: "Get away from him! Stay away!" Fear gripped her as she looked at the Doctor. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

She tried to break from Storm Shadow's grip, but the white ninja was impossibly strong and easily pulled her towards the chair.

"Now, now. Don't worry. I'm here to make you feel better. I am a doctor after all," the Doctor said with what sounded like a smile in his voice.

Deep inside her, Midnight's Shadow knew he was lying. She tried in vain to run away, pushing Storm Shadow away and trying to kick him or claw his arm that was clamped onto her own. This only seemed to make him angry, as the white ninja shoved her roughly into the chair. She immediately tried to rise, but was forced back down. In seconds, restraints were fastened onto her arms, legs, and midsection. She struggled nonetheless, trying to overpower the restraints but to no avail. She couldn't escape.

The Doctor walked forward, setting the medical chart he had been examining on a nearby counter. He leaned over her and gave her a very quizzical look as he looked her up and down. "Storm Shadow tells me that you lost your memory. Is that correct?"

Midnight's Shadow scowled and said nothing. She was inwardly kicking herself for saying anything. She should never have told Storm Shadow she lost her memory. Now she had to deal with this lunatic.

When she didn't answer, the Doctor straightened up and headed over to the counter to start rummaging through the drawers and cabinets, oblivious to his patient's murderous glares directed at him. "Oh, you can go now, Storm Shadow. I'll call you when I need you," he said, almost as an afterthought.

When Midnight's Shadow turned to look at Storm Shadow, she was stunned to see that he was gone. She didn't hear him walking away or even hear the door open and close. "He really is a ninja," she thought to herself.

"Now then," began the Doctor, turning back to her with a syringe in hand. The young woman's blue eyes snapped back over to the Doctor and gave him an icy glare, but once again he didn't seem to notice. "I'm going to give you some of this. It will knock you out for a few hours. Just long enough for me to finish my examination." He lowered the needle towards the inside of her elbow, exactly where the rest of the needle injections had been.

"Keep that thing away from me," she said in a warning tone, her voice like a low growl.

He didn't care though. And why should he listen to her anyways? She was tied up. He could do anything he wanted to her. That last thought caused a shiver to go down her spine.

There was a slight prick as the needle pierced her skin and emptied its contents into her. After a moment, the Doctor drew the needle out, set it on the counter, and turned back to her. "Now, I have other matters to attend to. I'll be back in a little while when this takes effect." He began to walk past her to reach the door and the young woman threw him another murderous glare and this time he noticed. His own gaze hardened into a scowl and he looked at her. Then he went through the door and was gone.

Midnight's Shadow glanced hurriedly around the room. She had to find something that would help her escape. She spied a mobile tray with assorted medical instruments on top of it. The tray was only a few inches away from her chair. Clearly, the Doctor is planning on using them once she was unconscious. All of the tools were used for surgery. What could the Doctor possibly think surgery would do to help her memory? Unless, it was nothing more than a side effect of whatever he had been doing to her. It could have been caused by the injections or possibly whatever the Doctor did after she was unconscious. She didn't want to find out.

She pushed her arms as far through the restraint as she could. Then when she couldn't force it out any farther, she angled her arm and began to reach for the tray. It took a few seconds, but she managed to grip the side of the tray and pull it towards her. When it was closer, she picked a scalpel off of it and began to use it to cut through the restraint. Luckily, the restraints were just tough leather. She could cut through it with enough time. The question is whether she can get out of it before the drug takes effect or the Doctor comes back.

The minutes seemed to drag by as Midnight's Shadow continued to saw through the restraint with the scalpel. She found herself continually watching the door, just waiting for the Doctor or Storm Shadow to come in. But they didn't. It didn't calm her nerves though. Eventually, after who knows how long, the restraint split open just enough that it widened the gap on one side and allowed her to pull her arm out. Hurriedly, she undid the restraints on her other arm, her midsection, and both her legs. Then she leaped to her feet, the scalpel still clutched in her hand. It was the only weapon she had at the moment and she needed something to defend herself in case she ran into any opposition.

Cautiously, the dark haired woman opened the door and peered out. The hall was empty. As quietly as she could, Midnight's Shadow ran down the hallway, the sound of her bare feet padding on the metal floor oddly loud in the silence. She ran for about forty feet until she came to a junction in the hallway. She froze.

She could hear voices coming down the hallway. She braced her back up against the wall, moving as close to the corner as she dared, and peered around the corner. Midnight's Shadow could clearly see two of those soldiers she had seen earlier heading down the hall towards her. Luckily, they were too busy talking amongst themselves to notice her looking around the corner. Midnight's Shadow straightened, gripping the scalpel in her hand determinedly. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, as she waited for them to get closer.

When their footsteps sounded as if they were just about to turn the corner, the dark haired woman's eyes snapped open and she whirled around the corner. The two men stopped short, grunting in surprise, but they didn't even have a chance to react. Midnight's Shadow arced the scalpel through the air, slicing it cleanly through the first man's throat. With a sickening gurgle, he fell to the ground, crimson blood staining his uniform. The second man tried to bring up his large assault rifle, but didn't get the chance to use it. The young woman grabbed the arm holding the gun, drew it past her, jerking the man forward and so that the gun was no longer pointed at her. Then she brought up her knee, and jabbed him in the ribs several times. When the man doubled over, clutching his chest in pain, Midnight's Shadow swiftly brought up her elbow and rammed it into the back of the man's head with all her might. The man fell like a stone, not making a sound, and did not move again.

She stood there, looking down at the men she had just attacked, frightened by what she had done. Her hands trembled as she saw the blood pouring from the first man's slashed throat. She glanced sickeningly at her hand that still clutched the scalpel and saw that it was now stained red. She felt as if she might retch, but she didn't. She stood several steadying breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. After several long moments, she leaned down and wiped her hand and the scalpel on one of the soldier's uniforms to clean off the blood. Quickly, she sifted through the second man's uniform until she pulled out a hand gun and a comm. System. That would allow her to know when they discovered she was gone and possibly where they soldiers were. The hand that gripped the hand gun was visibly shaking. She had just killed a man. She had killed him without a second thought. Her breathing sounded harsh in the silence, sounding like she was on the brink of screaming. How did she know to do that? It was just instinctual. She did it without thinking. By the time she realized what she had done, the two soldiers were already down. Was she some sort of soldier? A mercenary? An assassin? Was this her job?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone ahead of her down the hallway shout, "Hey, you! Freeze! Stay where you are!"

Midnight's Shadow didn't even think about what she did. She just did it. Gripping the scalpel tightly in her hand, she threw it. It flipped end over end until it buried itself in the soldier's shoulder. He stumbled back, stunned by the force of the blow. He uttered a curse under his breath as he ripped it out of his shoulder, letting it clatter to the ground, and brought up his hand gun. Midnight's Shadow barely had time to roll out of the way and around the corner before the first bullet was fired. She straightened her back against the wall as several bullets hit the wall, just inches from her head. There was a momentary pause and she seized her opportunity. Bringing her newly acquired gun to bear, she whipped around the corner and fired three shots. The first missed but the last two met their marks. The second shot hit the soldier in the shoulder, causing him the stagger back once more. The final bullet hit him right in the center of his chest. The soldier fell backwards, his back smashing into the wall behind him, and sagged slowly to the ground, leaving a long blood line on the surface.

She averted her eyes and quickly began to run down the hall once again. She wasn't entirely sure which way to take. She had never even seen anything that looked like an exit. Then again, this was the first time out of her room. At least, the first time that she could remember. She could hear shouts over the comm. System and adjusted her paths accordingly to avoid any more encounters. She weaved through endless amounts of halls. Every single one seemed to be the same. There didn't seem to be any defining feature that Midnight's Shadow could use to tell any of the halls apart. Nonetheless, she kept running, still searching for an exit.

Suddenly, she heard the pounding of footsteps coming down the adjoining hall just ahead of her. She lengthened her strides as she tried to make it to the end of the hall before the other soldiers. She reached the end of the hall just as three soldiers rounded the corner. Midnight's Shadow launched herself into the air. She flew so high into the air that she surprised herself. Her legs wrapped around the neck of the nearest soldier and pulled him to the ground. He only had time to utter a strangled gasp of surprise before she snapped his neck. The other two soldiers, who were momentarily stunned by her sudden appearance, brought up their guns to point them at her head. They didn't get the chance to pull the trigger. Her leg whirled in a half circle across the metal floor, sweeping their legs out from under them. They both fell onto their backs, losing their grips on their guns as they slid away from them on the floor. Hurriedly, she rose to her feet, kicking her leg out at the nearest soldier as he tried to rise. Her foot connected with his chin, his head snapped back, and fell back to the ground.

The third soldier was one his feet by now, though. He held up his fists, readying himself for her attack. She turned to face the soldier, bringing up her fists as well. Her chest was heaving from the fighting and continuous running through the seemingly endless hallways. Adrenaline was pumping wildly through her veins. She could hear her heart beat in her ears, sounding so loud that the soldier might even hear it.

Then, the soldier leapt on offensive. He charged her, his arm swinging through the air towards her head. She ducked under the attempted blow and executed one of her own, swinging her fist to make contact with his midsection. She issued several punches to his abdomen which caused the soldier to double over in pain. He tried to strike her once again, but she easily sidestepped the attempted blow, landing an effective blow to his windpipe in response. The man instinctually clutched his throat, coughing and gagging. She then brought up her knee and slammed it into his abdomen, bending him double. Then, in one swift movement, Midnight's Shadow brought up her leg and smashed her heel down on the back of the soldiers head. With a grunt of pain, the man fell to the ground and didn't move again.

She stood over the fallen soldiers, her heart beat pounding in her ears and her breathing loud in the silence. Suddenly, she felt someone behind her. Midnight's Shadow whirled around, her fist swinging through the air, but was stopped. Storm Shadow stood just behind her, his hand wrapped around her fist.

"How far did you think you could run?" he asked her. The white ninja glanced behind her to where the three soldiers lay on the ground. He turned his gaze back to the dark haired woman, faint surprise on his features. "So I see you didn't completely lose your memory."

Knowing that her escape was cut off unless she dealt with Storm Shadow, Midnight's Shadow attacked. She jerked away her fist and swung up her leg in a roundhouse kick. But the white ninja was impossibly fast. He brought up his hands, grabbed her leg, and twisted. The dark haired woman lost her footing and fell to the ground, hard. Instinctually, she rolled to the side, narrowly missing a kick from Storm Shadow intended to knock her unconscious. A second later, she was back on her feet, her muscles tensing as she readied herself for whatever Storm Shadow did next.

Suddenly, Midnight's Shadow felt rather groggy. The hallway felt like it was moving under her feet as she stumbled to the side, trying to use the wall to steady herself. She blinked her blue eyes rapidly, as if she could clear her vision by doing so. She heard Storm Shadow laughing and did her best to look up at him, a scowl on her face.

"I see the Doctor's medicine is just starting to take effect," the white ninja smiled as he stood a few steps toward her. "It truly is remarkable how fast its effects take hold."

The entire hall felt as if it was spinning, shifting and changing its form. The dark haired woman leaned heavily up against her shoulder, bracing herself against the wall. She felt herself slowly sagging lower and lower, her legs growing weaker and buckling underneath her. Darkness was creeping into the fringes of her vision. She could feel herself slipping away as she finally fell completely to the ground.

Storm Shadow crouched on the ground in front of her. He reached forward and pulled away the stolen gun and comm. System, tossing it harmlessly away from her.

As Midnight's Shadow finally fell into unconsciousness, her last image was of Storm Shadow smiling at her.


	3. Dueling Shadows

The throbbing was what eventually woke Midnight's Shadow from her unconscious state. With a groan, she reached up a hand to massage her pounding head. She slowly opened her blue eyes and examined her surroundings.

She was back in her old room. The big difference here was that her legs were strapped to the cot, along with her midsection. Across from her, leaning almost casually up against the far wall, was Storm Shadow. He watched her with an unconcerned eye as she struggled to raise herself onto her elbows to scowl at him.

The white ninja didn't seem affected though, as if he couldn't be bothered to notice that she loathed him. He kicked away from the wall and took a few steps forward. Midnight's Shadow was surprised when she noticed the strange look on his face. He looked as if he was genuinely curious, even fascinated by her. He folded his arms across his muscular chest as he regarded her thoughtfully. After a moment of silence he said, "You told me that you lost your memory."

"I did," she responded icily.

Storm Shadow crouched down in front of her so that he could look her right in the eyes. "Then how did you know how to take down every single one of those guards? I'd say your memory trauma is not as severe as you previously led us to believe."

Midnight's Shadow remained silent. She was unsure of what she should say, now that she knew she couldn't trust them, so she thought it best to just keep quiet.

"How did you know what to do?" he repeated, slightly irritated at the fact that she hadn't answered him the first time.

"Instinct," she said coldly.

"Instinct?" Shadow Storm repeated the word as if he didn't quite believe her. "You knew how to handle those guards purely out of instinct?"

"Something like it, yes," Midnight's Shadow said, eyeing him carefully.

"Hmm," was all he said in response. He looked at her, as if trying to gauge something. Then, suddenly, he rose to his feet and leaned over her. Midnight's Shadow made a move as if to ward him off with her hands, not trusting him. Storm Shadow ignored her, and to her surprise, he began to undo the restraints. When she was completely unbuckled, he straightened up. All she could do was stare up at him with a dumbfounded expression. He extended a hand towards her. "Get up," he said.

She brushed his hand away and stood up on her own, Storm Shadow taking a few steps back to give her room. Without waiting for her to say anything, Storm Shadow grabbed her arm and led her out into the hallway. This time, at least, he knew to keep his strides shorter so that she could keep up.

"Where are you taking me?" the dark haired woman demanded.

The white ninja didn't look at her as he answered, instead looking straight down the hallway. "You'll see soon enough," he said simply.

Just like the last time, he led her through the maze of hallways, each one looking like a mirror image of the other. This time, though, Midnight's Shadow kept her eyes open for anything that even resembled an exit. After about a minute of walking, Storm Shadow led them through a door at the T-intersection of two hallways.

The room through the door was large; possibly about 30 ft. by 20 ft. The entire floor was covered in a cushy padding, similar to something you might find in a gym. The smaller wall at the far end of the room was covered entirely in mirrors. Otherwise, the room was entirely bare.

Storm Shadow proceeded into the room, shutting the door behind them, and led the way to the center of the room. When they reached it, he released her arm and turned so that he was facing her. "Attack me," he said.

Midnight's Shadow almost laughed. "What?"

"Attack me," the white ninja repeated.

"Why?"

"I'm curious to see what you're capable of," he responded.

The dark haired woman crossed her arms over her chest. "I still don't see why I have to."

Then, before she could react, Storm Shadow swept her legs out from under her. She fell with a heavy thud onto the padded floor. Midnight's Shadow quickly raised herself back onto her feet, clearly irritated now. She tried to throw a punch straight at his head, but the ninja easily sidestepped it. Then, she made an attempt to kick at one of his legs, but he once again eluded the attempted attack. They did this for a long time. Midnight's Shadow would attack the white ninja, and he would easily dodge every attack. By the time they finally stopped, she was completely out of breath, bent over with her hands on her knees and her chest heaving. Her heart hammered in her chest as she glared up at Storm Shadow, frustrated that she wasn't able to land a single hit. He was on a completely different level than her. Here she was, breathing hard with sweat dripping down her forehead, while he wasn't even out of breath. If anything he looked bored.

"So? Did I pass your little curiosity test?" she asked in between gasps for air.

Storm Shadow folded his arms across his chest. "Not quite. All I know now is that we need to train our soldiers better. If you can defeat them so easily, then they must not have been trained properly. This must be corrected," he said.

She straightened up, a fierce scowl on her face, but she said nothing. The white ninja was either saying exactly what he was thinking with blatant honesty or he was trying to provoke her. It was also possibly that it was both. "So now what?"

He took several steps forward until he stood only a few feet from her. "I take you back to your room."

The ninja made a move to grab her arm, but she jumped back to avoid him. "What was the point of this? To find out how well your soldiers were trained if they could be taken down by me? I don't think that's completely it. What's the real reason for doing this?"

Storm Shadow looked at her seriously. "I told you already. I was curious to see what you were capable of."

"That's what all this was?" she exclaimed incredulously. "Curiosity?"

"Yes."

Midnight's Shadow rolled her eyes, not comprehending his motive. "Fine. Just take me back to my room."

Silently, Storm Shadow complied, grabbed her arm, and led her out of the room. As they walked through the maze of halls once again, Midnight's Shadow couldn't help but watch the white ninja out of the corner of her eye. Curiosity? That was what this was all about? No. There had to be more to it than that. But what if there wasn't? What if he was genuinely curious about her ability to instinctually know how to fight despite losing her memory? Midnight's Shadow briefly recalled the interested look he had given her back in her room. It was possible, but yet she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than curiosity.

When they reached her room, Storm Shadow wordlessly opened the door and pushed her in front of him. He shut the door behind him and then once again grabbed her arm and led her over to the bed. Deciding it would simply easier not to fight, since she would definitely lose, Midnight's Shadow laid down on the cot and let Storm Shadow buckle the straps around her body. The dark haired woman watched him swiftly buckle the restraints with a mild interest in seeing how fast he could do it.

When he was almost done fastening the restraints around her wrists, Storm Shadow broke the silence. "Tomorrow, you will be transferred to another facility."

"Why am I being transferred?" she inquired.

The ninja finished with the straps and straightened to his full height. "The Doctor needs a certain piece of equipment at that facility to do his examination of you," he answered.

She wanted to ask, "why don't you just move the equipment here instead of moving me?' But she didn't. For all she knew, this facility would be easier to escape from than this one. Instead she asked, "What is this examination that the Doctor is so hell bent on doing?"

Storm Shadow shrugged. "It's the Doctor's business. I don't ask. Frankly, I don't really care."

"You have such a kind soul," she commented bitterly.

A faint smile crossed the ninja's lips. "You have no idea."

Before Midnight's Shadow could utter a response to that last statement, Storm Shadow strode from the room, locking the door behind him.

The young woman rolled her head so that she was looking up at the ceiling. She examined it as if it held the answer to all the questions whirling within her mind.

What is the examination? What does the Doctor want from her? What is the piece of equipment that the Doctor needed for the examination? Where did she learn to fight? Did it have something to do with her job or was it a kind of hobby? Where was this facility? Where is the facility that she was being transferred to? Who were those soldiers? Who is holding her prisoner? Why was she here?

Amid all the new and old questions in her mind, Midnight's Shadow couldn't help but have her thoughts stray to Storm Shadow for a moment. It was then that she realized something. Whoever was holding her here had lots of soldiers. They could have used these soldiers to escort her to wherever it was she needed to go next; like to go see the Doctor. But they didn't. It had always been Storm Shadow. It seemed that he had taken a special interest in her. But why? Was it curiosity again?

Midnight's Shadow felt her eyelids growing heavy as she felt herself growing tired, probably from her fight with Storm Shadow. As she slid into the relaxing embrace of sleep, she still found herself wondering about the character of the white ninja.

A/N: Just an fyi to any readers out there, I am new to the G.I. Joe series. I have seen the recent movie GI Joe: Rise of Cobra but the last time I saw that was when it was first coming out so I don't really remember very much of it. I am loosely basing this story off of that and a few episodes of G.I. Joe: Renegades that I saw and will eventually work in those aspects in later chapters. I will be primarily following the storyline of the movies, though. Otherwise, I apologize if any character's personalities are wrong. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it! Please give me some reviews to let me know how I'm doing!


	4. Transfer

4

Midnight's Shadow was not entirely sure how long she slept. All she knew was that it was not long enough. She was stirred awake to the sound of her cell door opening. Her eyes snapped open and looked towards the door just in time to see Storm Shadow stride through carrying a small bag.

Without a word, the white ninja dropped the bag on the floor near the entrance with a dull thud. Not taking his eyes off of her, Storm Shadow swiftly walked across the threshold of the room to the small bed in which Midnight's Shadow lay. Bending down, the ninja made quick work of the restraints that held her down. When he was finished, he turned and went over to the bag.

The dark haired woman raised herself slowly into a sitting position, her eyes wary as they watched Storm Shadow. She rubbed her wrists where the restraints had come into contact with her slit wrists. Slinging her legs over the side of the small bed, Midnight's Shadow's bare feet touched the cool metal floor. She wondered once again where this facility was located that it always felt so cold. Or perhaps they just didn't turn on the heat as much in this facility. The dark haired woman stretched her back, careful to avoid aggravating her bruised stomach. Sleeping in only one position all night, or however long it was that she had slept, had made her entire body ache.

Storm Shadow retrieved the discarded bag by the door. Instead of walking back to her, the white ninja simply turned and threw it at her roughly.

Midnight's Shadow grabbed the bag, which was nothing more than a simple tan, leather shoulder bag, and clutched it to her chest like it was a lifeline. She looked at the ninja questioningly. "What is this?"

"Your clothes," he answered. He turned around, not seeing the look of surprise that flashed across her face. "Get changed. We leave soon."

The young woman watched as the white ninja strode through the door and disappeared from sight as it closed behind him. Her blue eyes strayed back to the bag now clutched tightly in her arms. Opening the flap, Midnight's Shadow began to slowly draw out the bag's contents and set them on the bed next to her. Once she was finished, she stood and examined them. The clothes consisted of dark skinny jeans, knee high black boots, a pair of socks, a v-neck long sleeve dark navy blue shirt, and a black hooded jacket.

The last object lay splayed out on top of the clothing. It was a necklace. It consisted of nothing more than a long piece of black string. At the end of this string were two metal charms. One was in the shape of a crescent moon and the other was shaped like a sun. The necklace was so simple looking. Anyone could have made it by just visiting a craft store. Someone like Midnight's Shadow perhaps?

Clearing her thoughts of questions, which was continually getting harder, the young woman began to undress. Apparently the people of this facility had given her something new to wear during her stay: a plain white t-shirt and white pants that were strikingly similar to pajama pants. Midnight's Shadow dressed quickly in case Storm Shadow grew impatient and walked in.

It was a good thing she had hurried because her prediction turned out to be right. Just as Midnight's Shadow had finished zipping up the side of her boot, the door swung open once more to admit the white ninja. "What is taking so long?" he asked with barely contained annoyance.

"Just putting on the damn clothes that you gave me. Have some patience," she snapped at him. She saw the look of black rage cross his face, the one that she thought she had imagined before. Her heart leaped in fear. She thought he was going to kill her. To hide her fear, she turned and reached onto the bed and put on the last content of the bag: the necklace. Once she was finished, she turned to face the white ninja. She was relieved to see that his expression had returned to its typical bored one. "Shall we?"

Without saying a word, Storm Shadow strode forward and roughly grabbed her arm. He paused for a moment, looking behind her towards the bed. His almond eyes sought hers. "You don't wish to keep the bag?" he asked with a slight smile.

"I didn't realize it was apart of the outfit you picked out for me," she responded icily, scowling at him. "Nice touch with the necklace by the way."

Storm Shadow let out a low chuckle.

"What is so funny?" Midnight's Shadow growled at him.

The white ninja released her arm and took a step back. He gestured to her clothes. "You picked out these clothes. This is the same exact outfit you came to us in," he told her with a small smile playing on his lips.

Midnight's Shadow couldn't keep the surprise from her face. "These…these are mine?" she asked slowly. Her blue eyes strayed down to her clothes, as if they suddenly contained new information on her forgotten past.

Storm Shadow nodded. "The bag, too." The white ninja strode around the black haired woman, grabbed the shoulder bag off the bed, and walked back to stand before her. Midnight's Shadow stiffened in surprise when the ninja slung the strap over her head so that the bag rested securely on her hip. His dark almond eyes regarded her shocked expression silently for a moment before he once again grasped her arm and led her out into the hall.

As he had done the other times, Storm Shadow led her through a maze of corridors and hallways, never doubting his path for a second. He had definitely learned from his past experience to shorten his long strides so that Midnight's Shadow could keep up more easily. This time though, she didn't notice. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

She couldn't seem to make sense of Storm Shadow. He seemed to be the only one that tended to her-bringing her in and out of her cell. He was the only one she had contact with, besides the Doctor. Midnight's Shadow forced down a shiver before she continued in her thoughts. When she had escaped from her cell, he was the one to stop her. There was also when the white ninja had taken her out of her cell to fight her one on one. He had said it had been out of curiosity, but she didn't buy it. So as all of this was added up, what did mean?

Midnight's Shadow's blue eyes strayed to the white ninja, who remained focused on where he was going. She had no idea what the motives of Storm Shadow were and what his interest in her was. Not to mention the Doctor, but she'd rather not think about that right now.

Storm Shadow led them to a large door. He brought her forward with her and typed in a code into a panel next to it. She tried to catch what he put in, but his hand blocked most of what he put in. Besides, his hand moved too fast for her to catch any of it. When he was finished, he stepped back slightly, bringing Midnight's Shadow with him.

A second later, the door opened into a massive hanger. Assorted jets, helicopters, planes, and assault vehicles sat parked on the hard pavement. Heavily armed soldiers patrolled every inch of the hanger, large gun clutched in their hands at the ready.

Midnight's Shadow was momentarily struck by a gust of freezing wind as the door opened. She bent over slightly, her hands instantly on her arms as she tried to warm herself by repeatedly rubbing them. Not caring about her cold state, Storm Shadow jerked her alongside him as he began to stride across the hanger. Recovering from the initial shock of the cold, Midnight's Shadow straightened and looked to see where they were going.

Gathered in the middle of the hanger was a large group of soldiers, all heavily armed like the soldiers patrolling the area. They were all clad in dark armor that looked like it was bulletproof. They even wore masks to hide their faces. They were all gathered at the end of a massive cargo plane. When they noticed Storm Shadow approaching, they wordlessly turned and began to file onto the plane.

Storm Shadow followed them up, dragging Midnight's Shadow up with him. He led her to a small seat, slightly separate from the soldiers, and sat her down. His fingers moved quickly as he fastened a tight harness around her body, securing her down. Once he was finished, he gingerly reached into his pockets and grabbed something. When his hand exited his pocket, it came out clutching a syringe.

Midnight's Shadow's eyes became wild. "No! No more needles!" she said, her voice pleading. She tried to move away from him, but the harness held her in place.

"Can't be helped." Storm Shadow moved the needle towards a distressed Midnight's Shadow. When he was close enough, he plunged the syringe into the skin around the inside of her elbow, right where she had gotten so many other injections.

The difference with the contents of this needle and the one that the Doctor gave to her before was that this worked instantaneously. In mere seconds, the dark haired woman found it difficult to keep her eyelids from dropping. She was barely conscious of Storm Shadow putting the syringe back into his pocket. He disappeared from her already blurred vision for a moment before coming back. He took a seat next to Midnight's Shadow and started to fasten himself in. She was vaguely aware of his shoulder coming into contact with her own. She could feel herself slowly sagging further into her seat. She did her best to fight it, but to no avail. Eventually, she gave into the darkness encroaching about the edges of her vision. Within another few seconds, Midnight's Shadow was unconscious.

The dull roar was the first thing that Midnight's Shadow heard. She quickly realized that it belonged to the engine of the plane. She slowly came out of her groggy state, fighting through the after effects of the contents within the syringe. As the plane jostled, she became more aware that she was slumped over in her seat. Not only that, her head was resting on something.

Slowly, Midnight's Shadow inclined her head only to find herself staring into the mildly amused face of Storm Shadow. Immediately, she sat bolt upright, roughly slamming her shoulder into his as she quickly rose. This only caused the white ninja's smile broaden slightly. "I didn't want to wake you," he said simply.

"Yeah, well, maybe you should have," she snapped. She reached up and pulled the ponytail out of her hair, letting her messy, long black locks fall down around her shoulders.

"You should not be so angry all the time. You'll wear yourself out," he commented dryly.

"Do as I say, not as I do, right?" she replied with an insulting smile.

The white ninja's smile faded slightly but remained on his face. "If you are this insulting to the Doctor during your upcoming examination, it will not end well for you. I was only trying to help."

Midnight's Shadow directed her hard blue eyes directly in front her, which just consisted of a few empty seats opposite her. "I don't need your help."

"Clearly you do," was all he said in response. He reached into the pocket of his white suit and produced a throwing star. He spun it in his fingers, the shine of the metal catching the light.

The dark haired woman shifted her eyes to this new distraction. "Bored, are we?" she asked him with a slight smile.

"Yes, well, you are not exactly the best form of conversation or entertainment," he answered bluntly.

Midnight's Shadow rolled her eyes, but continued to watch the movement of the throwing star as the ninja twirled it expertly in between his fingers in complicated maneuvers.

Suddenly, the dark haired woman felt the plane shift direction. It was descending. "We're there?" she asked, a slight waiver to her voice.

"Almost. Once we land, we drive the rest of the way. Flying in will draw too much attention," he told her. His dark eyes shifted to find her own blue ones. "The Doctor is already there waiting eagerly for your arrival."


	5. Caught in the Middle

6

Once the monstrous cargo plane had landed and was at a complete stop, Storm Shadow unbuckled himself and rose from his seat. He turned and began to lean down to undo the harness around Midnight's Shadow.

She roughly shoved his hands away. "I can do it myself, ninja," she said icily, saying the last word like it was an insult.

Slightly amused, Storm Shadow took a few steps back and watched as the dark haired woman undid the restraints with speed to match his own. When she had finished, he stepped forward and grasped her arm, pulling her to her feet. Just as she rose to her feet, the massive cargo bay door slowly descended onto the ground. Leading her alongside him, Storm Shadow headed out of the plane, the rest of the soldiers hot on their heels.

The entire area in which they landed lay shrouded in a dark night, only the moon and stars lighting the land. The plane had landed upon a small asphalt runway in the middle of no where. Small road flares were placed around the edge of the runway to light the cargo plane's way. Midnight's Shadow glanced over her shoulder at the plane and saw that the wings of the monstrous vehicle barely cleared the edge of an expansive forest. Midnight's Shadow looked about her and saw nothing but trees, tall and looming in the darkness of night. All around her, the dark haired woman could see mountains, both large and small, encompassing the small runway. It looked like mountains trapped them inside the large forested valley, but that couldn't be the case. Storm Shadow and the others knew where they were going. Their destination couldn't be far now.

The white ninja led her over to the side of the runway where a faint dirt road was visible through the trees. Midnight's Shadow was momentarily confused. Were they going to walk the rest of the way to this new facility?

As if in answer to her silent question, from out of the darkness appeared several armored trucks that looked like they belonged to some sort of military. Who were these guys?

The trucks-seven to be exact- rumbled down the dirt road towards them. When they reached them, they turned around until they were facing back the way they came. From out of the vehicle nearest to them, a passenger door opened and out stepped a massive man clad all in black, the same as the soldiers behind her.

Midnight's Shadow took a slight step back in spite of herself. The man was huge! He had to be at least seven feet tall.

Storm Shadow, as patient as ever, held her arm, tightening his grip when she moved back. Midnight's Shadow had to bite her lip through the pain. Surely there would be a bruise on her arm later from all the times the white ninja had escorted her places.

His gaze momentarily straying over his captive, Storm Shadow returned his gaze to the hulking man before him. "You're late," he stated bluntly.

The man crossed his massive arms across his muscular chest. His dark eyes were hard as he regarded the ninja, clearly not so easily intimidated by him as some of the other soldiers. "I arrived right when I wanted to. It would do you some good to learn some patience, Storm Shadow," the man said sternly.

Midnight's Shadow inwardly smiled at the scowl that crossed the white ninja's face.

The man now turned his attention on the prisoner. "Is this her then? She doesn't look as tough as you said," he commented. His eyes raked her up and down, causing Midnight's Shadow to feel sick.

"Do not judge by appearances. She is probably more than a match for you," Storm Shadow said with an insulting smile. The man growled but said nothing in response.

Midnight's Shadow gave a small gasp of surprise as the white ninja, none too gently, shoved her at the man. The dark haired woman smacked roughly into the hard exterior of the massive man. She tried to quickly move away, but instantly the man's large hands clamped down on her shoulders, holding her fast.

"She is your problem now. Ensure she reaches her destination safely or you will have you choice of answering to me or the Doctor," the white ninja said, a hard edge to his voice.

Midnight's Shadow missed the flash of fear that crossed the big man's features when the Doctor was mentioned. She was too busy staring at Storm Shadow. He wasn't coming with? He had been with her this entire time. Why was he leaving now?

She tried to force down the questions like she had so many other times, but this time she couldn't do it. She had to ask. "You're not coming with?" she asked quietly, confusion coloring her tone.

The hard almond eyes of the white ninja shifted to her. "I have other matters to attend to. Don't worry. I will meet up with you and the Doctor soon enough," he told her, a small smile on his face. Without another word, he turned on his heel and began to head back towards the plane.

The man steered Midnight's Shadow around and began to lead her towards the awaiting vehicles. "Alright! Pick a truck and file in!" he roared to the men behind him.

Midnight's Shadow's heart dropped. With this many men as an armed escort, she felt her hope for escape slowly ebbing away. When they reached this new facility, she half wondered to herself if she would ever come out again.

The large man put her in the center truck in the long line of vehicles. He had elected to ride with her and was now sitting in the front seat, looking out the front window with a hard expression. Midnight's Shadow sat handcuffed in between two more soldiers in the back seat.

They had handcuffed her in front so that they could watch her hands, making entirely sure that she didn't pick the lock or something like that. Midnight's Shadow couldn't help but wonder if that was even within her strange repertoire of talents. She had seen the man give the key to the handcuffs to one of the soldiers next her. She had hoped she might be able to snatch it off of him, but there would be no point even if she did manage it. They would see her unlocking her handcuffs for sure.

So, Midnight's Shadow just sat there, listening to the rocks pelt the outside of the truck as they drove down the gravel road. She stared at her hands, which rested lightly in her lap, dreading the fact that they were slowly getting closer and closer to their destination with each passing minute. She felt sick to her stomach anytime she thought about what the Doctor had in store for her. So, to the best of her ability, Midnight's Shadow tried to force any thoughts of the Doctor from her mind. That was when she thought of Storm Shadow.

The ninja had been there with her since she first awoke in that cell. He had taken a special interest in her as he took it upon himself to personally escort her to and from her cell. She had briefly considered it was because he seemed to be the only one Midnight's Shadow couldn't beat in a fight, but she quickly added that there was more to it than that. She constantly thought of when the white ninja had taken her to that room to test her ability to recall how to fight, despite losing her memory. He had said it had been because of curiosity that he had done it, but she didn't buy it. Everything Storm Shadow did felt like it had an ulterior motive behind it. She wasn't sure if she could trust him or not.

But now, as she was without him for the first time, she half wished he had come along. He had seemed to keep the other soldiers in line and away from her. She had no illusions about what could have happened to her trapped in that cell. All one of them had to do was walk in…

Midnight's Shadow shivered at the thought, quickly forcing it away. Now that Storm Shadow was gone, was something bad going to happen to her in his absence? She recalled the way that the large man had looked her up and down upon their first meeting. She silently swore that she would snap his neck if he tried anything with her.

She inwardly flinched at her own thought. She wasn't sure if she was ever going to get used to the fact that she was so utterly prepared to kill someone without a second thought. All this did was serve to draw her thoughts back to the riddle of her past.

Suddenly the vehicle skidded to a halt, the rocks grinding beneath the wheels in protest. Midnight's Shadow's head snapped up instantly. They couldn't be there already, could they?

The large man in the front seat dug a walkie talkie out of his jacket pocket. "What the hell is going on up there? Why have we stopped?"

There was a brief moment of static before the answer came. "Sorry, sir. There is a massive tree laying on the road. It must have been knocked over in the storm from the other night."

"It wasn't there when we came in," the man stated, his voice a low growl.

"Maybe the storm weakened it? Either way, we can't get through."

"Well, go around it!" the man said, annoyance coloring his tone.

"We can't. The trees are too close together. The trucks will never make it," the soldier on the other end of the line replied. "We'll have to backtrack."

"We'll see about that. I'm coming up there." The man shoved the comm. back into the confines of his jacket. He turned in his seat to look at the two soldiers. "Keep your eye on her." His hard eyes shifted to Midnight's Shadow, who scowled fiercely at him, and pointed a finger menacingly at her. "Don't try anything. You won't get far." With that, he opened the passenger side door and exited. Midnight's Shadow watched him as he strode away and disappeared around the side of the vehicle ahead of them.

Now was probably her best chance for escape, but how could she? She couldn't get to the key to her handcuffs without the soldiers seeing her and stopping her. Her mind scrambled to try to construct an escape plan, but she couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't lead to her eventually getting caught. She probably had one chance and she didn't want to waste it.

Suddenly, a fiery explosion rocked the truck. Midnight's Shadow looked through the windshield just in time to see the lead truck launch into the air, wreathed in flames, before it crashed down on top of the next truck in line. Screams rose in the night air. Almost instantly, Midnight's Shadow could hear the sound of gunfire, but it wasn't coming from the soldiers. It was coming from within the forest. Someone was attacking them. The dark haired woman could make out the vague shapes of black clad soldiers, though not in the same uniform as her captors. They moved in on the solders from both sides of the road, pinning them. They were trapped.

Midnight's Shadow seized her chance while her captors were momentarily shocked by their sudden attack. Bringing up her elbows, she slammed it as hard as she could into the temple of the soldier to her left. The soldier let out a small grunt of pain before he went slack against the door. The soldier to her right started to turn towards her upon seeing her take out his comrade. He had no time to react when Midnight's Shadow's elbow slammed into his temple as well.

The driver started to turn around in his seat, but Midnight's Shadow was quicker. She swung her handcuffed arms over the head of his seat, wrapping around his neck and pulled. She felt as if she would be sick as she listened to his strained breathing as he choked. She could feel his throat working underneath her iron grip as he desperately tried to breath. His entire body went rigid, frantic for even a single breath of air. All of a sudden, the truck lurched forward. The driver had apparently stepped onto the gas pedal. The truck drove forward until it collided with the vehicle in front of them and stopped. The glass of the windshield shattered around them. Midnight's Shadow closed her eyes to protect them, not loosening her grip on the driver. She could feel the glass cut into her face as it sailed past her, still she did not let go. A second later, the driver went limp.

Midnight's Shadow let out her breath, which she hadn't even realized she had been holding. She hurriedly removed her arms from around the driver's neck. The dark haired woman sat back, adrenaline pumping wildly through her veins. She unbuckled her seat belt, reached over to the door handle on her left, and pushed it open. She swiftly undid the seatbelt on the unconscious soldier nearest to the door and kicked him out onto the ground. She leaped out after him and immediately fell into a protective crouch. Her blue eyes darted everywhere as she looked at the chaotic scene before her.

Soldiers ran this way and that, trying to find cover behind trees or the remaining vehicles. Explosions and gunfire rang out in the dark forest. The shadows of the mysterious soldiers took refuge behind the trees, never coming out. Perhaps it was because the darkness of the forest gave them an advantage, seeing as how they could see them but the enemy soldiers couldn't quite see them.

Midnight's Shadow ducked lower as a stray bullet hit the passenger window above her head, causing glass to rain down on top of her. Hurriedly, she sifted through the pockets of the unconscious soldier until she found what she was looking for: the key to the handcuffs. In a matter of seconds, the handcuffs fell off of Midnight's Shadow's wrists. She rubbed her wrists to get feeling back into them where they had come into contact with her bandages.

The newly freed Midnight's Shadow looked around. She wasn't sure where to go. Everywhere she looked was a soldier. If she just got up and started running, she risked getting caught in between the two sides and getting struck down by gunfire. She wasn't even sure if the soldiers in the forest were friendly or not. They could think she was apart of the same organization as the soldiers that they were fighting. How could they know that she was a prisoner?

Either way, she couldn't stay here. She was bound to get hit by a stray bullet for sure. Making up her mind, Midnight's Shadow rose to her feet and sprinted as fast as she could to take refuge within the darkness of the forest.

Snake Eyes finished off yet another soldier cleanly with his katana. He whirled it expertly in his fingers before he sheathed it on his back. He drew his pistol and with three well placed shots, instantly and easily took out three more soldiers that attempted to enter the woods. He listened to the shouts and screams of the pinned soldiers, trying to take what cover they could behind their trucks. They could easily surrender and end this here and now, but inside he knew they would not give up until the last man had fallen.

The black ninja's eyes strayed to farther up the line of trucks as a rocket launcher took out yet another. The flaming vehicle flew up into air before it came crashing back down to the earth. Soldiers dived out of the way of the falling truck. Some made it out of the way in time, but others weren't as lucky.

Snake Eyes fired two more shots as some soldiers attempted to flee into the forest and directly into his path. The ninja listened to his comm., vigilant for any new information. All he heard, though, was orders being shouted by Heavy Duty to the other soldiers, offering them encouragement and strategic advice.

Suddenly, Snake Eyes heard Breaker's voice over the comm. "I see the package! I see it!" he exclaimed.

"Well? What is it?" Heavy Duty said, the sound of his gatling gun carrying over the comm..

"It's a girl. She's running into the forest directly towards me, but she's got a hell of a lot of soldiers chasing after her," he answered.

"Well, intercept her without harming her," Heavy Duty commanded. "Snake Eyes. Scarlett. Go give him some back up."

"On it!" came Scarlett's reply.

The black ninja reached over his comm. and sent a ping to let Heavy Duty know that he had heard his order. Instantly, Snake Eyes raced full speed towards the area that Breaker was supposed to cover. He cut down soldiers with his katana and shot ones that were not close enough as he ran. The other Joes didn't seem to notice him as he sprinted in between the trees. Perhaps it was because they didn't see him or it was due to the fact that they were so wrapped up in the ensuing battle. It didn't really matter.

Within about a minute or so, Snake Eyes reached the area that Breaker was supposed to be covering. He stopped and scanned the forest. At first, he didn't see anything besides the occasional flare of light from the barrel of a gun as another round was released. That was when he saw her.

She darted in between the shadows of the trees, scarcely visible in the small amount of moonlight that illuminated the dark forest. She sprinted full speed through the forest, her long strides eating up the distance between her and freedom. Snake eyes saw her whip her head around to check over her shoulder, her black hair splaying around her head like a waterfall. The black clad ninja looked where she had and immediately spotted the forms of at least twelve soldiers racing after her, shouting to one another to capture her alive as they held their guns at the ready.

Immediately, Snake Eyes ran stealthily towards them. They didn't even realize he was there until it was too late. The ninja intercepted them and stepped right in between the soldiers and their fleeing target. The soldiers skidded to a halt, momentarily surprised by his sudden appearance.

Not waiting for them to snap out of it and bring their weapons to bear, the black ninja swiftly drew his gun from its holster and quickly dispatched with two of the lead soldiers. The rest of them ducked slightly, as if they couldn't believe he had fired on them.

Before they could recover, Snake Eyes saw the familiar light of a red laser dance onto the forehead of one of the soldiers on the fringe of the group. One of the soldiers turned, saw it, and tried to warn his comrade, but it was too late. Merely a moment later, the soldier's head was no longer attached to his body. Not long after, Scarlett darted out of the woods, her red hair like a small fire within the forest, and came to stand next to Snake Eyes.

She pointed her handheld crossbow menacingly at the group of soldiers and fired off one more shot. "Where is the package?" she asked him, talking rather loudly in order to be heard over the sound of gunfire.

Snake Eyes quickly checked over his shoulder. He had been so focused on the soldiers before him that he had actually forgotten to see where the girl had been running off to. He instantly spotted her still running away into the woods.

Scarlett briefly took her eyes off the soldiers to follow the ninja's gaze. She must have seen her too because she reached up a hand to turn on her comm. system. "Breaker. Heads up. She's heading your way."

Taking one last look behind them at the fleeing figure, Snake Eyes and Scarlett turned to face the soldiers, who were finally shaking themselves out of the initial shock of how quickly four of them had been killed. Snake Eyes paused for a moment. He knew they had killed a few of them, but it seems that there were less soldiers than there were a moment ago. It only took him a moment to realize what happened. They had split up. Some soldiers stayed behind to attack Scarlett and him while the others circled around them to continue their pursuit of the mysterious girl.

Snake Eyes started to turn around to go after them, but immediately stopped. Scarlett didn't appear to realize what happened; she was still focused on the soldiers before her. If Snake Eyes left to go after the other soldiers, she would be left to fend for herself against the remaining ones. He couldn't leave her. The girl would just have to outrun them. Maybe Breaker could help her.

The ninja paused in his thoughts. An amused smile appeared on his face underneath his dark mask. Or, he could finish here as quick as he could and go after her himself.

Scarlett turned to look at Snake Eyes. "You ready?"

The ninja nodded, not looking away from the group in front of them.

Then, all at once, the two of them leapt into the fray.


	6. The Package

5

Midnight's Shadow wasn't entirely sure how long she could run, but she just kept going. She was determined to leave it all behind: the soldiers, the explosions, the gunfire, the screams, the death. She had no idea where she was running to, but she didn't care. She just kept running. The sound of her footfalls and her controlled breathing filled her ears. In the distance, she could still hear the shouts, explosions, and gunfire from the battle she was so determined to leave behind.

She risked a look over her shoulder and was shocked to see that the soldiers that had been chasing her only moments ago had suddenly disappeared. Had they given up? No. That didn't seem right. Perhaps they ran into soldiers from the other side that they had been fighting with. Midnight's Shadow quieted her thoughts. It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that no one was pursuing her. She was in the clear. She just needed to put a little more distance between her and the battle behind her.

Suddenly, a dark shape stepped out of the forest directly in front of her. Midnight's Shadow jolted in surprise at its unexpected appearance. She skidded to a halt about twenty feet away from it as she strained her eyes to make out the person's features.

It was a man, rather short in stature. He was clad all in a light fitting black armor; the same armor that the soldiers attacking from the darkness of the woods had been wearing. His skin was a dark tan and his hair a dark shade of brown. A strange device, almost like some sort of optic camera system, arced around from the back of his head and sat in front of his brown eyes. He held a small assault rifle in his hands.

Midnight's Shadow eyed the gun warily before returning her gaze to the young man. Her eyes briefly scanned the forest, looking for an escape route. Maybe she could make it behind the trees before he brought up his weapon.

To her surprise, the man raised one hand off of the rifle as if he meant to calm her. "It's alright," he told her in an accent that she somehow identified as Moroccan. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Midnight's Shadow nodded towards him. "Then lower your gun."

The man shifted on his feet, as if he was the nervous one. "I can't do that. We're in the middle of a firefight and I need to be ready in case any more soldiers come running through," he informed her.

The dark haired woman took a step back, her expression hard and untrusting. "If you don't lower your gun, then I have no reason to believe you don't mean me harm."

The Moroccan man raised his hand in a calming gesture again and took a few cautious steps toward her. "What's your name?"

"None of your business," she threw at him icily, not liking how close he was getting. She felt like a cornered animal; enemies all around and nowhere to go. She glared at him as he slowly approached, but refused to give up any ground. Whether it was out of panic, anger, curiosity, or the simple fact that she was being stubborn, Midnight's Shadow didn't know.

He placed his hand on his chest to gesture to himself as he continued to inch closer. "I'm known as Breaker. My employers sent us to rescue you."

Midnight's Shadow shifted from foot to foot more rapidly now as he was within five feet of her. She was seriously considering taking her chances and forcing her way past him as she continued her sprint into the forest. But, she continued to hold her ground. "Who are your employers?" she asked carefully.

Breaker hesitated for a moment, indecision flashing across his features before it disappeared. "I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

The dark haired woman shook her head in disbelief, an actual smile spreading across her face. She had almost started laughing. "That's a fancy way of saying mind your own business. You're shadier than the guys who were holding me prisoner. So why should I trust you? And what makes me so damn important?" she demanded.

Breaker's brown eyes shifted over her shoulder towards where the majority of the fighting was happening. A second later, they returned to her face. "We'll fill you in once we get you into protective custody."

"I'm not buying it. The second you have me in custody, you don't have to tell me anything. Why should I trust you?" her voice rising in irritation as Breaker continued to dismiss her questions.

The Moroccan man was within arm's reach. He slowly extended his hand towards her shoulder. Midnight's Shadow flinched away. Suddenly, her instinct kicked in. It was as if she saw him reaching towards her in slow motion. Her mind interpreted it as an aggressive move and instantly kicked into defensive mode. Her hand swatted his arm away from her and then, lightning quick, and wrapped around Breaker's throat. The Moroccan man gasped in surprise, but didn't have the time to react. With all her strength, Midnight's Shadow pushed him backwards so fast that he lost his footing and slammed to the ground. The impact of the fall drove the air from his lungs in a rush.

Midnight's Shadow took a step back in shock. What had she just done? She didn't mean to attack him. It just happened. She instantly clasped her hands over her mouth and took a few steps back. Breaker took a few deep breaths followed by a few coughs. He seemed stunned by the sudden attack and was having trouble recovering. Midnight's Shadow just stood there, repeatedly asking herself "What did you do?"

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. The dark haired woman whirled around and barely managed to duck in time before a fist swung just inches away from her head. So the soldiers had caught up with her. Well, she definitely wasn't going to go quietly. Bringing up her leg, Midnight's Shadow kicked the man away from her and turned to face the others. She took a quick mental tally of how many there were. She counted four. Alright. She could handle four…hopefully.

Spacing her feet and reading her hands, Midnight's Shadow got into a fighting stance as she waited for the next attack. She didn't have to wait long. One of the other soldiers rushed her, attempting to tackle her to the ground before she had time to react. She dodge rolled out of the way, narrowly missing the attempted attack. She was immediately greeted by yet another soldier as he tried to bring up his rifle and smash it into her face in an attempt to knock her unconscious. Swinging up her leg in a sweeping fashion, Midnight's Shadow effectively kicked the gun out of his hands. And with another swift round house kick, slammed the back of her heel into the man's jaw. He uttered a single grunt of pain before he fell to the ground unconscious. She whirled around to turn her attention back to the remaining three soldiers just in time to see two of them try to grab her arms. Somehow, Midnight's Shadow back flipped out of their reach, both of her feet connecting with the underside of their jaws with a satisfying smack. She quickly righted herself, momentarily stunned by the fact that she had just successfully executed a back flip. Luckily, she recovered quickly. The soldiers were briefly dazed by the kicks, so she seized her chance and reacted forward. Midnight's Shadow swiftly ripped a hand gun out of one of their holsters, took off the safety, and fired two shots into their foreheads at point blank range. Before their bodies even hit the ground, she moved her arm and aimed her new weapon at the last soldier. Her index finger quickly squeezed the trigger and released the bullet from its chamber and buried itself in her opponent's neck. With a sickening gurgle, the man fell to his knees, clutching his throat, but still alive. Moving a step closer, Midnight's Shadow brought up the gun one last time and fired it into the man's skull. This time, he soldier fell completely over, dead.

Midnight's Shadow felt sick as she watched his face grow pale as the blood leaked from his body. In the gloom of the night, she could see dark pools forming underneath the fallen soldiers, staining the pure green grass. The dark haired woman quickly averted her eyes and turned, letting the handgun fall to the ground at her feet. She looked down and could visibly see her hands shaking. She had blood on her hands. When she shot those men, there must have been blood splatter. The young woman could see flecks of dark liquid on her hands and clothing. She knew that it was probably on her face as well. This only caused the shaking in her hands to intensify.

Her bright blue eyes strayed to Breaker, who had gotten to his feet and was now staring at her with complete disbelief and incredulity. "Who are you?" he asked her.

Midnight's Shadow scoffed. "I've been asking myself that question every day for as long as I can remember," she answered honestly.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind her.

Midnight's Shadow spun swiftly around to find the source of the voice. From out of the forest emerged two figures.

The first was a woman; obviously the source of the voice. She was clad in the same armor as Breaker. Her hair was a flaming red that seemed to stand out vividly against the black of her armor and the darkness of the night. In her hand she clutched what appeared to be a handheld crossbow with a targeting laser and screen.

The second figure took a moment for Midnight's Shadow to discern, for they blended in with the night too well. When they finally got close enough, she realized that it was a man. And not just any man. It was a ninja.

Midnight's Shadow gave herself a mental slap. Not another one. She got away from one ninja only to end up running into another. She thought ninjas weren't that common in the modern world and yet she seemed to keep running into them.

The man was clad in black- the same as his comrades- except for the fact that his was a different style. He wore black pants, similar to something an army grunt might wear, and black boots. It was clearly designed to give him a full range of movement. His chest piece was designed with muscles, as if to accentuate what he looked like underneath the armor. He wore a strange mask over his face with a large vizer over his eyes and the top half of his nose. Only the lips and bottom half of his nose designed into the making of the mask were visible- not to mention his ears. All in all, not a single patch of skin was visible to reveal even a sense of the man underneath. A long katana was strapped across his back, reminding Midnight's Shadow of Storm Shadow. Also like the white ninja, this black ninja was around six feet tall. Upon closer inspection, Midnight's Shadow thought she could make out the vague shape of a red tattoo on his shoulder. She couldn't tell what it was, though, through the darkness of night.

The woman and the ninja ran up to them but stopped short when they noticed the bodies lying at Midnight's Shadow's feet. The red haired woman looked stunned from the bodies, to the dark haired woman, and finally to Breaker. She pointed at the bodies. "Did you do this?" she asked the Moroccan.

He shook his head and pointed at Midnight's Shadow. "She did."

The woman looked at her with bright blue eyes. "You did this?" she asked incredulously.

Midnight's Shadow nodded stiffly, shifting her feet nervously. She still wasn't sure if she could trust them, regardless of whether they were sent to rescue her or not.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. In fact, I'm not sure if I believe it now," Breaker added.

The redhead nodded and returned her gaze to Midnight's Shadow. Unexpectedly, a smile appeared on her face, softening the hard persona. "I'm Scarlett. And this," she turned and gestured to the black clad ninja beside her, "is Snake Eyes." She turned back to Midnight's Shadow. "What's your name?"

The dark haired woman visibly hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should tell them her name. Though, they were slowly starting to win her over on the fact that they weren't the bad guys here. Still, that didn't mean she trusted them. Though, she supposed that sharing her name didn't exactly require her trust. Besides, it was a nickname or codename like theirs were. So it shouldn't stand out too much. "Umm, Midnight's Shadow," she said slowly, her blue eyes searching their faces for a reaction.

Scarlett merely nodded, the smile still on her face. "Alright, Shadow. The battle is pretty much wrapping up, so we're going to take you someplace safe."

She took a few steps toward Midnight's Shadow. The dark haired woman flinched back at her approach, despite herself. After what she had done to Breaker and those soldiers only moments before, she was scared of what might happen to Scarlett if she got too close.

"It's alright. I'm not going to cuff or drug you," she told her gently. Midnight's Shadow found it somewhat amusing and frightening, though, at the fact that she had just mentioned two things that the men who had her imprisoned had done to her. In one swift movement, Scarlett sheathed her crossbow in a holster at her leg. "I just wanted to come and make sure you weren't hurt or anything."

"I'm fine," she answered tersely, backing away a few steps.

"Alright then." Scarlett backed away to return to standing beside the stoic Snake Eyes. She reached up to her ear to turn on what must have been her comm. "Hey, Heavy. We've secured the package and are ready for pickup."

As if from queue, Midnight's Shadow heard the roar of an engine in the distance. It quickly grew louder as its source raced towards them. All of a sudden, a small, modern looking plane flew over the tops of the trees, whipping them into a frenzy. The dark haired woman and the other mysterious soldiers shielded their faces as the aircraft hovered in the air above them. Then, slowly but surely, it began to descend until it landed with a loud thud upon the grass near them.

Midnight's Shadow had been so absorbed in watching the plane land that she hadn't noticed Scarlett come to stand beside her. "Ready to go?" she asked, smiling as she noticed the startled look on her face.

With a stiff nod, Midnight's Shadow walked towards the strange plane, followed closely by her new gatekeepers.


	7. Safe

6

Midnight's Shadow moved toward the aircraft which had landed securely upon the grass, its engines still roaring. Her black hair whipped wildly around her face, stinging her skin when it smacked into it. She felt trapped. She was definitely no better off staying and hiding in the woods, but she couldn't help but wonder if she could even trust these people. Sure they were more willing to offer a kind word than the other people, but they were just as battle hardened and secretive. That didn't exactly inspire trust in Midnight's Shadow's eyes.

As she was striding towards the waiting plane, Midnight's Shadow felt Scarlett walk up beside her. She extended her hand and grabbed her arm to lead her to the plane. The dark haired woman jerked her arm away from Scarlett roughly. "I can walk myself," she stated bluntly.

Scarlett nodded stiffly in response but didn't leave her side.

Suddenly, Midnight's Shadow jumped when she felt a hand firmly grasp her arm. But it wasn't Scarlett. The dark haired woman shifted her gaze to her other side and saw Snake Eyes walking silently beside her, his black gloved hand gripping her left arm strongly. The ninja either didn't notice her gaze or chose not to care, as he continued looking straight ahead.

As before, the dark haired woman jerked her arm away. This time, though, her arm wasn't released. Snake Eyes kept a steadily firm grip on her arm and even tightened it when she sought to jerk it away. Midnight's Shadow scowled furiously. "I said I can walk myself," she said icily. Still he didn't release her. "Let me go," she demanded.

In response, the black clad ninja lengthened his already long strides, making her struggle to keep pace. He practically dragged her to the plane. Just before they stepped inside, she saw Scarlett smiling and trying not to laugh.

Then, she was gone and Snake Eyes brought her into the plane. The interior of the plane was windowless, the lights on the ceiling the only light provided. Seats with light harnesses lined both sides of the plane. In the far back, Midnight's Shadow could see a sort of back area with storage lockers.

She didn't have time to look for long before Snake Eyes pushed her forward. She threw a scowl over her shoulder at him, but once again the ninja either chose to ignore her or didn't even notice. He forced her to walk down the aisle a small distance before he roughly pushed her down into one of the seats. Without even offering her another glance, Snake Eyes walked past her towards the storage lockers. One by one, the rest of the team filed onto the plane and claimed their seats. Breaker took one on the end, near the cockpit while Scarlett elected to sit next to Midnight's Shadow.

Snake Eyes, after finishing with whatever he had done in the storage lockers, chose to sit across from her. He smoothly unsheathed his sword with the high pitched ringing of steel and began to sharpen it on something he held in his hand. For a moment, the ninja paused and glanced up at her, but Midnight's Shadow quickly looked away in the direction of the cockpit. A second later, she heard Snake Eyes begin sharpening his katana once again.

Midnight's Shadow just kept looking towards the cockpit, unsure of where else to look. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Breaker and Scarlett peeling off their black armor. Underneath, Scarlett wore a simple green tank top and camo pants, while Breaker wore a long sleeved beige shirt and dark green army pants. Once they had finished, the two of them both pulled duffel bags out from under their seats and proceeded to stuff their armor inside. When they had finished, they zipped them up and shoved them back under their seats.

Scarlett kept her handheld crossbow belted to her thigh, but Breaker headed to the back of the plane to the storage lockers to put away his gun. He returned a moment later and sat down in his seat once more.

Movement at the front of the plane caught Midnight's Shadow's attention. She looked and saw a large, heavily built man emerge from the cockpit. He was dressed similar to Scarlett and Breaker, wearing a tight fitting beige, no sleeve shirt, clearly meant to show off his muscles, and army green pants. Midnight's Shadow noticed something dangling from his ear and realized that it was a long silver earring. The man crossed his arms over his broad chest as he looked at the young woman. Midnight's Shadow stared back, refusing to be the first to look away.

"So you're the package that we went through all the trouble of getting," he said with a heavy accent that she quickly identified as British.

She shrugged in response. "I guess so."

He moved across the plane and took a seat between Breaker and Snake Eyes, his hard brown eyes never leaving her face. "Well then, I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell us who those men back there were?" he asked.

Midnight's Shadow scoffed. "You attacked them, but you don't even know who they are?" she asked with mild surprise.

"We received intel that said a group of well-funded terrorists was moving a high priority and high risk package to another facility," Scarlett told her, chiming in.

"So tell us: What makes you such high priority?" the British man asked.

Midnight's Shadow could do nothing but stare. Terrorists? That was who was holding her prisoner? And a high priority package? Her? Sure she knew how to fight, so that accounted for the high risk part, but what about her was high priority? Perhaps, it was for the very same reason that they had been holding her prisoner. She could tell that they wanted something from her, but she didn't know what. Maybe, it was something that she had forgotten…

Quickly, the dark haired woman forced away her thought and shrugged once again. "I honestly have no idea," she replied, her gaze never straying from his face.

The man regarded her silently for a moment, trying to discern if she was lying or hiding anything from him. Midnight's Shadow looked him squarely in the eye as he did so. She had nothing to hide.

After a few seconds, he seemed satisfied and leaned back in his seat. Reaching behind him, he began to strap himself into the harness. After looking around, Midnight's Shadow quickly realized that everyone else was similarly secured. Hurriedly, she reached behind her as well and began to fasten the harness around her.

Midnight's Shadow turned to Scarlett. "Who's Mr. Chipper?" she asked.

Scarlett smiled. "Heavy Duty," the red haired woman replied.

No sooner had she finished than the British man called out to the pilot of the plane. "Alright! Take us home," he commanded.

"Yes, sir," came the answer. A second later, the engines picked up. Within moments, the plane was airborne and carrying them "home."

Midnight's Shadow clasped her hands in her lap. She looked down, her eyes straying to her sleeves. The adrenaline from her escape and the fights with the soldiers was wearing off. As it wore off, the dark haired woman became more and more aware of a slowly growing pain in her wrists. She wondered if she had reopened the slashes in her wrists during her escape. She dared not look now, though. She didn't exactly want to draw the attention of the others in the plane. So instead, the young woman moved her hand and let it rest casually on her wrist as she gingerly began to massage it, attempting to discreetly soothe the pain.

After a few minutes of flight, everyone unbuckled their harnesses and moved freely about the plane. Scarlett rose from her seat and headed into the back area of the plane. Midnight's Shadow unbuckled herself as well as she eyed the red haired woman warily. She still wasn't entirely sure how well she could trust these people. Scarlett opened one of the lockers and pulled out a small medical kit. Shutting the locker once more, she headed back down the aisle and retook her seat beside Midnight's Shadow.

She offered a small smile to the other woman. "Don't worry. I just need to check you over to make sure you're not hurt or anything," Scarlett said, opening the med kit.

"Can't I just tell you that I'm fine?" Midnight's Shadow asked dryly.

"Afraid not. Can you take off your jacket, please?" she asked.

The dark haired woman frowned, but did as she was told. She supposed there was no harm in letting Scarlett examine her. They were probably bound to find out eventually. Unzipping her jacket, Midnight's Shadow easily slid out of it and set it on the empty seat beside her.

Reaching towards her, Scarlett slowly began to roll up Midnight's Shadow's sleeve. The red haired woman pulled it up to just above her elbow and froze. Her blue eyes moved from her bandaged wrist to Midnight's Shadow and back again. Swiftly, she reached over and pulled back the sleeve of her other arm to reveal an identical bandage around her wrist. Scarlett looked over her shoulder at the large British man. "Hey, Heavy. Look at this."

Heavy Duty leaned forward in his seat to get a closer look at her arm, his brow furrowing. "The hell?"

This caught the others attention. Breaker stood up from his seat and came over to see what was going on. Likewise, Midnight's Shadow heard the metal ringing of Snake Eyes sharpening his blade stop as the ninja paused to look as well.

Gently, Scarlett gripped one of her wrists in her hand, turning it over as she examined it. "Did they do this to you or did you do it to yourself?" she asked carefully, not taking her eyes off her wrists. She appeared to be checking the bandage to make sure it wasn't bleeding through, but she didn't unwrap it.

Midnight's Shadow hesitated. "I don't know," she said.

"What do you mean 'you don't know?'" Heavy Duty asked, sounding slightly impatient.

The dark haired woman's face turned into a deep frown as she glared at him. "Exactly what you think it means. I…do not….know," she said, enunciating every word with perfect clarity.

"How can you not know?" Breaker asked, chiming in. "Wouldn't you remember something like that?"

You'd think she would, but she didn't. "I just woke up, locked in a room, and found that I had them. Once again, I don't remember how I got them," Midnight's Shadow said, growing a little irritated at having to repeat herself. As she looked at their faces, she knew they were doubting her. "I'm telling the truth." Midnight's Shadow took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "My first memories are from about a few days ago when I woke up in a room, alone. I have no memory of anything prior to waking up in that room."

"You have amnesia?" Scarlett asked, surprise evident in her voice when she spoke.

Midnight's Shadow nodded. "Yes. So, like I said, I don't remember how I got the cuts on my wrists. I don't know if the people holding me captive did it or if I did it to myself. When I first woke up, they were already bandaged and in the process of healing," she told them.

"Then how do you have a name?" Heavy Duty asked.

She gaze shifted to him. "One of the men who was watching me told me it was what he knew me as."

"I see. Did this man tell you why they were holding you prisoner?" the British man asked.

She shook her head. "No."

"What's this?" Scarlett asked. Midnight's Shadow looked down at her arm and saw the red haired woman gesture to the interior of her elbow where several injections marks were.

"I'm not sure. Most of those were there when I woke up. The others were shots to put me under for when they moved me…or for other things." Midnight's Shadow suppressed a shudder as an image of the Doctor flashed through her mind.

"What other things?" Breaker questioned.

The dark haired woman pursed her lips, playing with her fingers nervously. She glanced down at her lap before returning to the expectant faces before her as they awaited her answer. "There…there was this guy at the facility where I was being kept. They only called him the Doctor. I only met him once, that I remember, and that was enough."

Heavy Duty shifted his gaze to Breaker. "You ever heard of this Doctor guy?"

The Moroccan man shook his head. "No, but I'll check once we get back to the Pit."

Midnight's Shadow looked from face to face in confusion. "The Pit?"

"It's our base. It's where we're heading now," the other woman answered. She began to reach into the med kit and pulled out a roll of bandages and some wound cleaner. "I'm just going to change the bandage, okay?"

The dark haired woman nodded. She watched as the red head gingerly began to unwrap both of the white bandages around her wrists until they were laid bare. Luckily, the slashes hadn't reopened in her escape, but they were still irritated by movement. Midnight's Shadow gritted her teeth as the air came into contact with each wound as they were uncovered. Dabbing some of the disinfectant onto a cloth, Scarlett began to clean the angry looking slits. Midnight's Shadow flinched away the second the cloth touched her, the disinfectant stinging and irritating her wound more, causing pain to ratchet up her arm.

Scarlett's blue eyes flicked up, an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry." She returned the cloth to the dark haired woman's wrist, using gentle strokes. This time, Midnight's Shadow didn't flinch, and merely gritted her teeth until it was over. Once Scarlett finished, she put the cloth and cleaner back into the kit and began to carefully wrap her wrists.

Midnight's Shadow looked around the plane once again. Heavy Duty and Breaker were talking quietly, their heads bent over a small device in the Moroccan's hand. She wondered if they were trying to find out information about the Doctor. Snake Eyes had sheathed his katana across his back and simply sat in silent meditation, his gaze directed downward.

Midnight's Shadow leaned her head back until it rested on the back of her seat. She still wasn't sure how much she could trust these people, but for now she had no choice. At least they didn't seem to be as bad as the terrorists who had held her prisoner before. That was a plus. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the dark haired woman closed her eyes, content to know that for the moment she was safe.


	8. Symphony of Silence

5

Midnight's Shadow blinked opened her blue eyes. When had she fallen asleep? Tilting her head forward, the dark haired woman's hand reached up to massage the back of her neck. Apparently falling asleep with her head leaning back against the seat didn't agree with it. Bringing her hand down to her eyes, Midnight's Shadow rubbed the sleep from her eyes. When she had finished, she knitted her fingers together and stretched her arms. With a contented sigh, Midnight's Shadow let her hands fall back into her lap as she looked around the plane.

She wasn't sure how long they had been on the plane, but it must have been a while considering everyone else's appearance. Heavy Duty sat strapped into his seat, his arms crossed across his broad chest, and his eyes closed. It appeared as if had taken Midnight's Shadow's idea and fallen asleep in his seat. The young woman could even hear him snoring, barely audible over the dull roar of the plane's engine.

Breaker was leaned back, settled into his seat. He had put on a pair of glasses and was looking down at the screen of a small device. Midnight's Shadow wasn't sure what it was, but it was about the size of a large phone. A long cord attached to the bottom of the device led up to ear buds that were tucked into his ears. The Moroccan's eyes were fixated upon the screen.

Scarlett still sat next to Midnight's Shadow. An iPod rested in her lap, ear buds set into her ears. The red haired woman tapped her foot to the beat of the song currently playing, her head nodding slightly to the music. Her lips moved almost imperceptibly, mouthing the words of the song.

Lastly, there was Snake Eyes. The black clad ninja still sat directly across from her. His arms were crossed across his chest. His head was tilted slightly forward, his visor looking down. Midnight's Shadow wondered to herself if he was actually asleep, the same as Heavy Duty. As if he had heard her thought, Snake Eyes looked up. She could feel him looking at her, even though she couldn't see his eyes. He just sat there, staring at her. Midnight's Shadow wasn't sure why he was staring, why he didn't say something. So she simply stared back, refusing to be the first to look away. This only seemed to intrigue Snake Eyes as he cocked his head slightly to the side, as if he was trying to figure her out.

Beside her, Midnight's Shadow heard Scarlett give a breathy laugh. "I see you two are entertaining yourselves," she commented, a smile evident in her voice.

The dark haired woman glanced over at Scarlett for a brief moment before looking back at the ninja. She leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees, and returned her steady gaze to the man before her. "There's not much else to do," she answered bluntly. She nodded towards the ninja. "Come on, Snake Eyes. You have any ideas of how to occupy our time?" the dark haired woman asked, a small smile on her face.

"Umm…" Midnight's Shadow turned to look at Scarlett. She had pulled out of the ear buds and held them in her hand. "He doesn't speak."

Surprise crossed the dark haired woman's face as she looked from the red head to the ninja and back again. He doesn't speak? So that was why he hadn't said anything to her since they met. "Why doesn't he speak?"

Scarlett shrugged as her gaze shifted to Snake Eyes. "I don't know. It's not like he can tell us," she said.

Midnight's Shadow looked back to the ninja. Snake Eyes just stared back, his head still cocked slightly to the side. She felt her mind wandering as she looked at him, wondering why he didn't, or couldn't, speak. Did it also have to do with why his entire body was covered in that armor? He hadn't taken it off like the others had. It only seemed to add to the mystery of the ninja. Though, Midnight's Shadow was a mystery to herself, so what did it matter?

Scarlett gripped her discarded ear bud and offered it to Midnight's Shadow. "Do you want to listen?" she asked, indicating her iPod.

The dark haired woman hesitated as she stared down at the small device in the other woman's hand. Her blue eyes flicked back up to hers. "I don't think so…I mean, I don't even know what I like…"

She could almost see the light bulb turn on in Scarlett's head as an apologetic smile instantly appeared on her face. "Right. No memory. Sorry."

Midnight's Shadow smiled back. "It's alright. In a way, I'm still coming to terms with it myself."

Scarlett nodded understandingly. "So, you really don't remember anything?" she asked, looking at her sideways.

It was her turn to nod. "Nope. Nothing. Not singers, bands, songs, or albums. It's all a blank slate."

The red haired woman offered the ear bud once again. "Are you sure you don't want to listen? You could find some songs that you like. With enough luck, you may even recognize some of them and it will jog your memory a little."

"It's fine. I'd rather not. I don't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed when I don't remember anything," Midnight's Shadow explained.

Scarlett withdrew her hand. "I understand. So, I've been meaning to ask you, what do you remember about your imprisonment with those terrorists?" Midnight's Shadow bit her lower lip nervously and averted her gaze, choosing to focus on her hands in her lap. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"

"No," the dark haired woman held up a hand as if to ward away her words. "It's alright. I don't mind talking about it." Midnight's Shadow took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I awoke in my room with no memory, as I have told you. I was kept there for who knows how long. Maybe a day or two. It was hard to keep track of how much time had passed, exactly. There were no windows. The few times that I left my room, I was escorted- and that was only twice. Once to meet the Doctor and the other to…" Midnight's Shadow paused for a moment as she recalled the memory, "assess my fighting skill."

Scarlett nodded as she talked. When she had finished, the red haired woman leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. "So, what can you tell us about this Doctor? What does he look like?" she inquired.

The dark haired woman shrugged. "He…" Midnight's Shadow inwardly cringed as an image of the Doctor arose in her mind. With it, it brought that feeling of utter dread and fear that she had felt upon their first, and hopefully last, encounter. "He has a mask over the lower part of his face. It looked like it could be used for breathing or something like it. He had long black hair and pale skin. He also had a really deep voice, kind of raspy too. Umm…." The young woman closed her eyes as she tried to, much to her distaste, remember him better. "The only other thing I can recall is that he had a monocle."

"Alright. So then do you think when we get back to base that you could help construct some sort of sketch of what he looks like?" Scarlett asked, looking at her sideways.

"Sure, I guess. If it'll help you find him. It certainly isn't a face that I will ever forget," Midnight's Shadow commented dryly. She directed her gaze forward and, once again, found herself in a staring contest with Snake Eyes, who had also been listening to what she had to say.

"Did you ever find out what he wanted with you? Like what happened that one time you were taken to see him?" The red head asked.

Midnight's Shadow sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She leaned back slowly until her back met the seat once more, never taking her gaze away from the black clad ninja before her. "Well, he strapped me to a chair, gave me a shot to knock me out, and then left the room. While he was gone, I managed to escape from the restraints and took off down the halls looking for an exit. I never found one. Not even a window. But, there were plenty of guards. It was during this time that I first discovered my ability to fight." She paused for a moment before continuing. "The escape was short lived. Eventually, the drug that the Doctor gave me kicked in and knocked me out. When I awoke, I was back in my cell."

"So he didn't say anything to you while he was administering the drug?"

The dark haired woman shook her head. "No. At least, nothing important."

Scarlett nodded her head. "Okay…what about your fighting skill? I'm a little unsure of how you could know how to fight even though you have no memory."

Midnight's Shadow scoffed. 'You're not the only one' is what she wanted to say, but she didn't. She couldn't entirely explain why she hadn't told them about Storm Shadow yet. Did she feel some sort of obligation to protect him? She wasn't sure she had any reason to do that, especially since he was one of the people holding her captive. Or, perhaps it was because of a certain other ninja sitting across from her. Something inside her just told her not to mention him. At least, not yet. "I'm not entirely sure how I did it either. It just happens. Like instinct. When someone gets too close, it's like my body interprets it automatically as a threat and merely reacts. Before I know what's happening, they're on the ground, either dead or unconscious. I don't know how else to explain it."

"Sometimes, the body has a memory of its own. It doesn't forget what it's learned. What I would really like to know is where you learned to fight. Not to mention, why those terrorists had you imprisoned."

"You and me both," Midnight's Shadow answered with a dry tone. "But it seems like these questions will not be answered immediately."

"I know." Scarlett was silent for a moment, her blue gaze directed to her iPod, still clutched in her one hand, before returning to the woman next to her. "What about this place where you were being held? Is there any information you can give us on it?"

Midnight's Shadow considered it for a moment before shaking her head. "Not really. Like I said, there were no windows. I didn't even find a door that looked like it led to an exit."

"Alright. What about the interior. Anything specific about it?"

Once again, the dark haired woman considered it. "It was rather plain. The walls were white and there was metal floors. And now that I think about it, it was also really cold. I thought they were just being cheapskates on their heating bill," Midnight's Shadow told her.

"Not quite. Maybe that could give us a clue to their location," Scarlett said thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Now you know they weren't keeping me somewhere tropical," the dark haired woman answered with a small smile.

"That it does. What about when you were being transferred to another facility? Did they say why they were moving you or anything like that?" Scarlett asked.

"I was told that the Doctor needed a particular piece of equipment to examine me. It was located at that facility. They never told me what it was, though, and I wasn't inclined to ask," Midnight's Shadow responded. She directed her gaze down for a moment as she looked at her hands, knitted together in her lap, before returning her gaze to the other woman. "Do you mind if we give the questions a rest for a while? I just feel that every question I answer now will only be asked once more once we reach your base."

"Of course. I understand." The redhead swiped her thumb across the screen of her iPod. "We're there anyways." She took her ear buds and began to wrap them around the small device.

Midnight's Shadow was just about to open her mouth to ask what she meant when she felt the plane begin to slow down. Her hands gripped the sides of seat for some semblance of stability. Breaker had taken off his ear buds and put it in his duffel bag. Heavy Duty had awoken from his nap, keeping his arms across his chest as he waited for the plane to land. Snake Eyes, as silent as usual, kept his arms similarly crossed over his chest with his gaze directed downward.

The plane slowed to a stop, hovering in midair. A moment later, it began to descend down to the earth below. To be perfectly honest, Midnight's Shadow felt a little relieved at the thought of getting out of the plane. She didn't like feeling trapped in here. There were no windows, which only served to make it feel like her cell back in the terrorist base.

After a moment of decent, the plane landed with a dull thud upon solid ground. Heavy was the first to his feet, grabbing his own duffel bag from under his seat and slinging it over his broad shoulder. He moved down the aisle, careful to avoid stepping on anyone's foot, and made his way over to the door. With the press of a button on keypad, the door slid open. Without a backwards glance, the British man walked through the opening and disappeared from sight.

Midnight's Shadow looked to the others, unsure of what to do. They were all rising from their seats, each taking their own duffel bag from beneath their seats and slinging them over their shoulders. The dark haired woman stood, still not sure what she was supposed to do. Snake Eyes moved to the side, to allow her room to stand. The dark haired woman glanced at the ninja, wondering not for the first time what he was thinking. Snake Eyes simply looked at her, not taking his gaze away. Midnight's Shadow wished she could see his face, or even his eyes- anything that would give her even a clue as to what he was thinking or what he was feeling when he looked at her.

Mentally, Midnight's Shadow shook her head. What did it matter what Snake Eyes thought of her? She was just probably a little on edge due to not knowing hardly anything about this ninja- not even what expression was on his face at that exact moment. She had no facial clues to give her an idea of what he planned to do next. It was rather unsettling.

A little more gently than he had before, but still with a degree of firmness, Snake Eyes took ahold of Midnight's Shadow's arm. This time, she chose not to fight it. But that didn't stop her from throwing an irritated glare at the ninja, who once again pretended not to notice. Scarlett looked over her shoulder and smiled when she caught sight of the two of them. This only caused Midnight's Shadow's expression to deepen into a scowl.

Then, following Scarlett, Midnight's Shadow walked out of the plane with a certain black clad ninja hot on her heels.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update this story! I started another fanfic and was really into it. I found a natural stopping point for the moment, so I'm going to try and focus a little more on this story. Thank you, Karin, for always reviewing my story. It really means a lot!

As always, please give me some reviews to let me know what you think!


	9. The Pit

5

So this was the Pit. As Midnight's Shadow stepped through the threshold of the plane, she cast her gaze around to get a good look at her surroundings. The area she was presently in must be the hangar. Assorted planes, all of the same design as the one Midnight's Shadow just emerged from, sat on the asphalt. The roar of multiple engines drew her attention as Midnight's Shadow looked behind her. Other planes were landing on the tarmac, their doors opening and soldiers pouring out. Those must have been the soldiers that were fighting the terrorists in the woods.

From a few of the planes, men and woman were carried out on stretchers or hobbled out, clearly wounded from the battle. Medics rushed onto the scene and began to take them away to have their injuries treated. Midnight's Shadow felt a pang of guilt. They had gotten hurt trying to free her. She wondered if some of them had even died.

Averting her thoughts, the dark haired woman continued to look around. As she scanned the area, she noticed a group of soldiers who were quickly sweeping push brooms over the blacktop, creating large piles of sand. Sand? Midnight's Shadow looked up to see a large circular opening through which the planes must have come through. The hatch was slowly closing, but as it did, sand came streaming down through the edges and onto the ground below. As she looked further around, Midnight's Shadow noticed that the walls were made of a solid brown rock.

Were they underground? Slowly, Midnight's Shadow began to feel hope ebb away. What if these people were just as bad as the terrorists who had been holding her captive? How was she supposed to escape from an underground facility such as this? That wasn't even mentioning the sheer amount of soldiers that were walking around in just the hangar. There must be even more spread throughout the rest of the base.

Doing her best to hide her disappointment, Midnight's Shadow directed her gaze down towards the ground as she watched her feet with every step she made. Snake Eyes gently led her in the direction she needed to go, so there was no point in looking. Besides, they were the ones who knew where they were going, not her.

Heavy Duty was waiting for them over by a large elevator, probably designed for transporting large amounts of cargo, people, or even vehicles throughout the base. As Midnight's Shadow raised her gaze, she noticed that the British man was talking to someone.

It was a man- who Midnight's Shadow instantly assumed to be their superior. He had an air of command about him as he turned to watch their approach with a hard blue gaze. His hands rested lightly on his hips. He wore the typical clothes that an army superior would wear- a black beret, camo pants, black boots, a black shirt, and an army green jacket. Dog tags were just visible over the collar of his shirt, resting securely on his chest.

"So this is Midnight's Shadow?" he said, a friendly smile on his face.

The dark haired woman jumped, not masking her surprise. How did he know who she was? She cast a look from Scarlett, to Snake Eyes, to Breaker, to Heavy Duty, until it finally returned to the other man. "How do you know me?" she asked.

He let out a light chuckle. "Heavy Duty filled me in on the ride over," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the British man. Heavy Duty remained stone faced, with his arms crossed across his chest, as he regarded Midnight's Shadow silently. The man extended his hand towards the dark haired woman. "I'm General Hawk," he greeted, introducing himself.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Midnight's Shadow extended her own hand and firmly grasped his. Then, as quickly as it had happened, they released their grip and let their hands fall to their sides. Midnight's Shadow stood there, feeling slightly awkward, as she waited for what the general had to say next.

Hawk gestured behind him for them to board the elevator. Without a word, Scarlett, Breaker, and Midnight's Shadow, still being led by the ninja, all boarded the elevator. When they had boarded, they turned around to face the way they had come. Heavy Duty reached over and punched a button on a nearby keypad. With a loud clank, the elevator began to descend further downward.

"You're probably wondering who we are," the general said without turning around. He said it more as a statement of fact rather than a question.

"It is one of the questions I would like answered," Midnight's Shadow responded carefully. Suddenly, she felt the pressure on her arm release. She glanced to her side to see Snake Eyes free her arm. The ninja returned her gaze for a moment before looking straight ahead. He must have decided that she wasn't a flight risk anymore, now that they were inside the base. He also didn't have to lead her, seeing as how she could simply follow the group once they started moving again. Returning her gaze forward, Midnight's Shadow crossed her newly released arms over her chest.

When her eyes were directed ahead of her, she was shocked to see what lay before her. One of the levels they were passing was a massive tank. Inside it, large assault boats floated on the water. Their turrets fixed on practice targets. When they fired, there was a loud boom as the ammo released from the chamber and collided with the target. Soldiers with weapons drawn patrolled the edges of the tank, vigilant for any type of danger.

As the elevator continued downward, they were also given an underwater view of the tank. Small, two man submarines darted through the clear blue water. They spiraled and twisted through a series of hoops as they fired practice rounds at underwater targets, which emitted small explosions as they were hit.

Midnight's Shadow looked from face to face, her jaw hanging open in undisguised shock and awe. "Who the hell are you people?" she breathed.

General Hawk chuckled. "Well, I suppose since you have put your faith in us, we might as well do the same. Technically, G.I. Joe does not exist. So if you leave here and start telling people about us there will be repercussions." General Hawk glanced over his shoulder at her to make sure she caught his meaning. Midnight's Shadow nodded stiffly in response. Satisfied, the general turned back around. "But, if it did exist, it would comprise of the top men and women from the best military units in the world. The Alpha dogs."

The elevator pulled lower until the next level came into view. It was a large room, nearly equal in size to the hangar and the tank. It appeared to be some sort of training room. Soldiers were everywhere, walking to and from different stations. In one area, there was a fake setup of a city with hologram targets for the shooter to practice on. In another, there was an area for soldiers to practice hand to hand combat. There was also an area dedicated to practicing repelling down ropes and a firing range. There was yet another area that seemed to be dedicated to training with specialized and unique weapons. Already in the area, Midnight's Shadow spied a man in what appeared to be a normal camo suit. When he pulled the hood over his face and pressed a button on his belt, she was shocked to see the man turn invisible. Whoever the G.I. Joes were, they certainly were well funded.

"Ten nations signed on in our first year. Now, after working together and sharing intel, thirteen more nations joined up. When all else fails, we don't," he said, saying the last sentence with no small degree of pride. Maybe it was like a motto or something.

"Did some of that intel help you to find me?" Midnight's Shadow asked, arching a dark eyebrow quizzically.

"Yes, though I can't tell you the details. Were simply given a tip that a group of well-funded terrorists were planning on moving a high risk, high priority package to another facility," he said.

Midnight's Shadow's face hardened. He said almost word for word what Scarlett had told her. The red head could have simply been telling her what she was told by her superior, but the she couldn't help but feel suspicious. It almost sounded rehearsed and she wasn't entirely sure yet if she could trust these people, no matter who they claimed to be.

"But the intel didn't describe the package," General Hawk continued. "We had no idea to suspect it was a person. We assumed that it was weapons of some sort."

"It appears that you were wrong," Midnight's Shadow said. She inwardly flinched as the words left her mouth. She hadn't meant to make them sound so venomous. The dark haired woman truly was grateful to them for saving her, but that didn't exactly broker her trust right away. At least with these people, they could tell her who they were. Otherwise, they had simply made up a name to tell her, just to keep her from asking questions.

To Midnight's Shadow's relief, General Hawk turned to look over his shoulder and smiled lightly at her. "Yes, it most certainly does."

The elevator came to a halt at the training floor, and the general walked off of it. The rest of the team followed after him. They worked their way through the crowded area, trying to keep reasonably close to General Hawk. More than once, Midnight's Shadow bumped shoulders with a passing soldier. After a breathy apology, she kept going.

When they reached the far side of the room, Midnight's Shadow noticed a long hallway that led deeper into the rock. It was pretty normal looking- plain walls painted a light beige and gray floors. She found herself wondering what it led to.

General Hawk stopped just before the entrance to the hallway and turned to face the others. He placed his hands on his hips as he looked past them to the soldiers beyond. He waved over two soldiers, who immediately came over and saluted their general. "I want you two to take Shadow here," he pointed to the dark haired woman, "over to the medical wing to be checked out. Keep a close eye on her. Once you're done there, I want you to put her in a holding cell."

The soldiers nodded and took places on either side of Midnight's Shadow. They each tried to grab her arms, but she jerked away. The dark haired woman took a few steps back, her expression murderous. They intended to lock her up! It was going to be just like when she was imprisoned by the terrorists! Suddenly, Midnight's Shadow felt a gentle pressure on her back. She glanced over her shoulder to see Snake Eyes place his hand on her back, preventing her from backing up any further. As usual, his thoughts were inscrutable as he looked at her. She glared at him for a moment before returning her gaze to General Hawk.

"This is only temporary. We're taking precautions. We don't know if you are actually the victim here or simply made to look that way so that the terrorists could implant a mole among our ranks," Hawk explained.

Midnight's Shadow's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"I am afraid we are. With an organization such as ours, which relies on secrecy, we can't take any chances," he said. "Once you are determined not to be a threat, we will decide what shall be done about you."

The soldiers wrapped their hands tightly around Midnight's Shadow's arms. She tried to jerk away as she had before, but Snake Eyes held her in place from behind, preventing her from moving out of their grasp. She gritted her teeth. She hated feeling trapped again. Would she ever be free?

General Hawk turned his attention to the others. "As for you, Alpha Team is to report to my office once you dispense with your belongings. I want a full mission debrief. That will be all for now."

With a salute from the Alphas, the general turned on his heel and began to walk down the hallway. Midnight's Shadow watched him until he was out of sight. Then, the young woman's new guards began to pull her towards the hall. She briefly thought to fight it, but discarded it. There would be no point. She might as well accept it- at least, for now.

As they started walking away, Midnight's Shadow cast a look over her shoulder. Heavy Duty was expressionless with his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watched her. Scarlett offered a supportive smile and a wave. Breaker fiddled anxiously with a small device in his hand, casting a few glances in Midnight's Shadow's direction. Then, there was Snake Eyes. The black ninja watched her be led away. He stood stone still, not even body language giving away what he was thinking.

Turning back around, Midnight's Shadow forced them from her mind as she attempted to focus on what lay ahead.


	10. One of Us

Inside General Hawk's office, the Alpha team was busy giving their accounts of the mission. Heavy Duty and Scarlett did most of the talking, with Breaker adding in a few details. Snake Eyes stood just off the side, listening. Scarlett and Breaker sat in the two mahogany chairs while Heavy Duty and Snake Eyes stood just behind them. General Hawk sat behind his large desk, listening intently.

When they had finished, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. Blue eyes shifted to each of their faces. "Now, tell me what happened when you first encountered Midnight's Shadow," he said in a commanding tone.

Scarlett was just about to open her mouth to answer, but stopped. She looked over at Breaker questioningly. He had actually been the first to see and talk to her, so maybe he should speak first. The Moroccan noticed her gaze and cleared his throat as he looked at the general. "Well, sir, I saw her running into the woods being chased by several of the terrorists. She must have escaped on her own in the middle of the fight. I made sure to radio that I had found her," Breaker said. He cast a look behind him at Heavy Duty.

The British man nodded in confirmation. "He did. Scarlett and Snake Eyes were sent in to intercept them."

"Right. Snake and I got there and began to fight the soldiers while she kept running. But while we were fighting, some of the soldiers split up and went after her. We made sure to finish off the terrorists in front of us before we went after her," Scarlett told him. She looked briefly behind her to see Snake Eyes nodded in agreement before turning back around.

"Alright. What then?" General Hawk encouraged.

"I managed to intercept her before she went too far into the forest. Understandably, she was untrusting and kept her distance. She asked several questions that I could not answer, which didn't exactly help. I managed to close the distance between us without spooking her, but…I probably shouldn't have done that." Breaker grimaced and looked down at his hands clasped in his laps, twiddling his fingers.

"What happened?" the general asked in a way that sounded more like an order.

"She….uhh….she took me down," the Moroccan responded rather sheepishly.

Scarlett let out a breathy laugh. "Seriously?" she grinned.

Heavy Duty took a step forward, a wide smirk on his face. "Let me see if I understand this correctly, a 100 pound girl took you out?" he asked.

",,,,yes," Breaker admitted slowly.

The other Joes broke out into a light laughter at the Moroccan's expense. The general was the first to stop, waving his hand through the air to make the others stop as well. "I think perhaps you should spend a little more time on the self-defense course, Breaker," Hawk advised, a smile still on his face.

Breaker lowered his dark brown gaze, nodding. "Yes, sir," he replied.

General Hawk turned his attention back to the other Joes, his expression hard and focused as it normally was. He laced his fingers together, letting his elbows rest on the desk and his chin resting on his hands, his gaze steady on his soldiers. "What happened next?"

"Well," Scarlett glanced over her shoulder at Snake Eyes before turning back to the general. "Snake and I intercepted some of the soldiers pursuing her, but some of them managed to elude us while we were focused on the others and resume their pursuit. By the time we caught up, we came upon Midnight's Shadow standing among the bodies of those same soldiers."

"How many?"

"Four," Breaker answered. "I was still recovering from her attacking me. She took them all out so fast." The Moroccan jerked his chin over his shoulder at the silent ninja behind him. "It kind of reminded me of Snake."

This seemed to pique the interest of General Hawk. "Really?"

Breaker nodded.

"Sir." The Hawk's eyes shifted to Scarlett. "The way she looked when we came up….it was like she couldn't believe what she had just done. After talking to her a little, we found out why." The red head paused, biting her lip a little. "She has no memory."

General Hawk leaned back in his seat. "Amnesia? You're sure? This isn't some attempt to avoid questioning?"

Scarlett shook her head. "It doesn't seem to be. I questioned her a little on the plane. She was more than willing to give any and all information she had- the stuff that she could remember at least."

"And? Does she know who these terrorists were? Or why they were holding her captive?" the general inquired.

Once again, the red head shook her head. "Shadow didn't know."

Hawk sighed and was silent for a moment. "Are we entirely sure that this is not an act?"

Scarlett was about to open her mouth to answer, but Heavy Duty interrupted her. "No, sir. I don't think this is an act. She appears to be genuine, but there is no way to be entirely sure."

The general nodded in agreement to this. He brought up a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I suppose we'll just have to see what the doctors say after their examination." His hand fell back down onto his lap. "Well, if that's all, you're dismissed. Be sure to write a written report."

Heavy Duty, Snake Eyes, Breaker, and Scarlett all saluted. The men turned towards the office door to leave, but Scarlett remained seated. The others paused at the door, looking back at their comrade with confusion. General Hawk noticed that she had remained and looked at her with his hard blue eyes. "Is there more to report?" he asked.

"No, sir," the red head replied.

"Then what is it?"

"I'd like to recommend her," Scarlett answered very simply.

The general scoffed, a light smile on his face. He looked at the young woman as if she had just said the craziest thing he had ever heard. "For all we know, she's a mole from the terrorists and you want to recommend her to be one of the Joes?" he asked incredulously.

"If she proves not to be a mole, which I am entirely sure she is not, I recommend that we extend her an invitation to join our ranks."

Hawk folded his hands across his chest and leaned back in his chair, regarding the red head with a critical eye. "And why should we do such a thing? I mean, what's the reasoning here?" he inquired with a hard tone.

"Well," Scarlett cleared her throat. "She's going to have to be kept here for the foreseeable future. We can't just let her go, otherwise the terrorists would simply find her and capture her once again, which with their funding will most certainly be easy. Also, we need her to stay and give any info, input, and knowledge she has on the terrorists so that we can catch them. As far as we know, she's the only one who knows anything about them. In addition, it would be inhumane for us to simply toss her out without a memory. Besides, if she starts to recover it, we may find out more about these terrorists and what they wanted with her."

General Hawk nodded as she spoke. "I agree, but I still don't see why that means why we should make her a Joe."

"Simple. Her skill in battle is like nothing we have seen since Snake Eyes," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at a certain Moroccan man," according to Breaker. She could be a real asset to the team. And by extending an invitation, it may encourage her to trust us a little more," Scarlett reasoned.

The general was silent as he regarded the red headed woman. Finally, he sighed. "Very well. She has to pass all of the usual tests to assess the extent of her skills and abilities. I will leave that up to the four of you," Hawk pointed a finger at the entirety of the Alpha team. "If she sufficiently passes the tests, she will become a Joe. If not, she will be kept as an advisor and under a type of witness protection until we neutralize the threat that these terrorists pose. Is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir," Scarlett answer firmly. She raised her hand to her forehead to salute before returning it to her side. She rose from her seat and began to walk to the door to join the rest of her team.

"And Scarlett?" The woman stopped and turned to look at the general. "What makes you think she would even accept the offer to join us? You said yourself that Midnight's Shadow doesn't trust us."

The red head paused and considered it for a moment before shrugged. "I can't say, sir. I just thing she will accept any opportunity to get of another cell and find some answers."

General Hawk nodded. "Dismissed."

Then, the Alpha walked through the threshold of the door, shutting it securely behind them, and began to head down the hall towards their quarters.

"Thanks for that, Scarlett. Just when I thought she was going to become someone else's problem, she becomes ours again," Heavy Duty commented dryly as he walked, looking sideways at the red head.

Scarlett smiled lightly as she looked at the British man. "Admit it, Heavy. You wanted to help her, too."

"Yeah. When it was our mission. Now she's in custody and it isn't our problem to help anymore. I feel for the girl. I really do. But I don't see why she needs to become a Joe." He held up his hand as Scarlett started to reply. "And don't say it's because of her fighting abilities. There are hundreds of soldiers throughout the world that get passed over to join and I'm sure they can fight just as well as she can. That doesn't make her Joe material."

Scarlett lightly patted the other's muscular shoulder. "Hence the tests," she smiled. Before he could reply, she headed down the hallway towards her room.

Heavy Duty watched her walk away for a moment before sighing and rolling his eyes. He began to stride down the hallway after her. Snake Eyes and Breaker exchanged a look before following after them.


	11. The Proposal

After more than a few hours of getting dragged around the Pit, Midnight's Shadow was finally put into a cell and left alone. The first thing she did after the soldiers left was to make sure that the door was locked. Of course it was. Turning away from the door, the dark haired woman took in her surroundings. She almost laughed at how similar it was to her old cell. There was a bed in one corner of the room with a nightstand sitting next to it. The difference with this room was that there was actual color, instead of the entire room being white. The walls were a shade of beige, much like the halls that wound their way throughout the Pit. The blanket and pillow upon the bed were a bland shade of gray and the linoleum floors were similarly colored.

With nothing left to do, Midnight's Shadow uttered a frustrated sigh and went over to the bed, sitting down upon its edge. She leaned back until her back met the cool surface of the wall. There was nothing left for her to do but wait. Closing her lashes over her bright blue eyes, Midnight's Shadow let her mind wander.

For the past few hours, she had been led all over the Pit by the two soldiers who had been assigned to escort her. First, she had been taken to a doctor, as directed. The doctor addressed her wounds, cleaning and changing the bandages on her wrists. He also took blood samples, perhaps trying to identify any remaining drugs remaining in her system that were put there by the terrorists. Lastly, the doctor tried to determine if she really did have amnesia. Midnight's Shadow almost laughed. There really was no way for him to accurately see if she had no memory. All he had was her word.

When the doctor finished his examination, Midnight's Shadow was once again escorted elsewhere in the deep underground complex. They wound their way through an array of different halls, passing many other soldiers along the way. Midnight's Shadow looked at them, but the passerby only spared her a passing glance or ignored her altogether. The dark haired woman took note that they were all army grunts, dressed in similar shades of green and wearing camo prints clothing. Perhaps it was commonplace for them to see a prisoner being walked down the hall. Midnight's Shadow threw away the thought. This didn't seem like the type of facility where you kept prisoners. It was too secret, too well hidden. No this base was used primarily for other things.

Next, Midnight's Shadow was escorted to an interrogation room. She was sat in a cold metal chair at a table in the middle of the room. The two soldiers took placed on either side of her, a precaution in case she tried to escape. Midnight's Shadow briefly entertained the thought of escaping but quickly decided it would be a futile effort. Between the amount of soldiers walking around the base to the fact that they were so deep underground, Midnight's Shadow saw no possible way that she could make a clean getaway.

After what seemed like an hour of waiting, another soldier entered and began to interrogate her. He asked her all of the same questions that Scarlett had inquired about on the plane. The dark haired woman was patient and tried to be cooperative as she answered any and all of the questions he had to the best of her ability. But she began to get deeply irritated when he began to repeat the questions over and over again. Midnight's Shadow tried to still her annoyance and answer his questions exactly the way she had previously done, but that didn't stop him from asking that same question again later in the interrogation. She understood that they were trying to make sure that her story didn't change anytime she told it, ensuring that she wasn't actually a mole being placed among their ranks. Still, that didn't stop her temper from flaring as the fourth hour of the interrogation rolled around. Needless to say, Midnight's Shadow could no longer contain her deep set irritation and frustration and ended up snapping at the soldier. Apparently displeased with this new attitude, the interrogator wrapped up the interrogation and gave the soldiers leave to take her to her cell. Midnight's Shadow was relieved that it was over. Now she wished that she had voiced her anger earlier in the interrogation.

The dark haired woman sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She brought up a hand and ran it through her messy black locks, brushed them out of her face. Her brows knitting together, Midnight's Shadow buried her face in her hands. What was she supposed to do now? Just wait for her fate to be determined?

Suddenly, she heard the sound of her cell door being unlocked. She let her hands fall away from her face but kept her elbows resting on her knees. Her bright blue eyes sought out her door just in time to see the handle turn. A moment later, Scarlett entered her cell, closely followed by Snake Eyes. The black clad ninja shut the door securely behind him and went over to a nearby wall. Leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, Snake Eyes watched her silently. Midnight's Shadow stared at him for a moment before turning her attention to the red haired woman before her.

Scarlett held out her hand and Midnight's Shadow realized for the first time that she was holding something. She quickly realized that it was her tan shoulder bag and her black hooded jacket. "You forgot these on the plane," Scarlett told her.

Midnight's Shadow reached up and took the bag and jacket from the red haired woman. "Thanks," she said gratefully, her voice oddly quiet. Her blue eyes were locked up her newly retrieved belongings. This was all she had left of her old life.

Scarlett crouched down so that she was looking the dark haired woman directly in the eye. "Is everything alright?" she asked, her tone concerned.

Midnight's Shadow thought she sounded genuine, but couldn't be sure. She didn't care what these people said or did. All of it could be lies to gain her trust. For what purpose? She couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was the same reason that those terrorists were holding her captive.

The dark haired woman smiled lightly. "Long day," she responded dryly.

Scarlett nodded knowingly. "Yeah. I heard about the interrogation. I heard it was kind of rough."

"Rough?" Midnight's Shadow looked her squarely in the eye. "It was four hours of asking me the same questions over and over again. Try annoying. Or frustrating. Or infuriating. That might come close to it." She shook her head. "They were questioning me like I was the bad guy."

"It's procedure. We had to determine tha-"

"That I wasn't a mole. I know." Midnight's Shadow took a calming breath. She just felt so irritated anytime she thought about the interrogation. "When can I leave?" Scarlett bit her lower lip. She briefly glanced over her shoulder at Snake Eyes. Midnight's Shadow's gaze shifted between the two of them. "What? What aren't you telling me?"

Scarlett looked back to her, looking her squarely in the eye. "We can't let you leave. Whoever those terrorists were, they aren't going to be happy that they lost you. If we let you go, they will find you again. We won't let that happen," the red head explained.

"So what? Am I just supposed to hide out here for the rest of my life?" Midnight's Shadow asked in an exasperated tone.

The other woman shook her head. "No. With your help, we may be able to track them down and eliminate them. Once that is done, the threat to your safety is gone and you are free to go."

The dark haired woman's eyebrows furrowed. "How am I supposed to help you track down terrorists?" she inquired, disbelief showing through in her expression no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"Well," Scarlett rose to her feet. She moved over to the bed and took a seat next to Midnight's Shadow. "As far as we know, you are the only one who has come into contact with them, seen some of their members, and the interior of one of their facilities. So, right now, you are the closest thing to an expert as we have."

Midnight's Shadow went slack jawed. She let out a small scoffing laugh. "Me? An expert? You must be joking. I barely know anything about these people."

Scarlett shrugged. "That's better than nothing, which is what we have right now," she told her. Her blue eyes sought her own. "So? Will you help us?"

Midnight's Shadow shook her head in disbelief. She brought up her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. "It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice. Even if I say no, I still have to be kept here. At least this way it will give me something to do, in addition to potentially speeding up how soon I can leave this place." She let her hand fall down into her lap and looked from Snake Eyes to Scarlett. "So, it looks like I'll help you."

The red head nodded. "Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear," she said with a small smile.

"I thought as much," Midnight's Shadow commented dryly.

"Now," the other woman began. Midnight's Shadow looked at her once more. "There is one more order of business that we must discuss." Scarlett looked at her sideways, a smile playing on her lips. "How would you like to become one of us?"

Midnight's Shadow's eyebrows raised in undisguised surprise. "Become a part of GI Joe? Seriously?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

"Well, you would have to pass a series of tests first to determine if you are eligible, but yes."

Midnight's Shadow cocked her head slightly to the side, perplexed. "I thought you have to be in the military to be a part of GI Joe," she asked.

Scarlett shook her head, her flaming red hair waving back and forth. "Not necessarily. We have recruited a few talented individuals outside of the military before," she answered.

The dark haired woman's eyes shifted to a certain black clad ninja. Perhaps Scarlett was referring to him. To be honest, Midnight's Shadow couldn't picture Snake Eyes in the military. It didn't seem like they would have allowed him to wear that mask 24/7. But who knows? Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was a part of the military once. Something dawned on her then. What if something happened while he was in the military- something that would cause him to wear a mask to hide his face?

Midnight's Shadow mentally shook her head as she turned her attention back to Scarlett. It wasn't any of her business. It wasn't as if she was actually going to get an answer to her questions about Snake Eyes.

"So what happens if I pass your tests?" she asked, with no small degree of wariness.

"Then you become one of us. You will be given free rein and allowed to walk around the Pit without an escort, which I'm sure would make you happy," she smiled.

The dark haired woman gave a scoffing laugh. "No kidding."

"You will also be given access to our resources. This would be especially helpful to you. We may be able to discover more about your past and help you regain your old life," Scarlett said.

Midnight's Shadow hesitated. Did she want her old life back? Did she even want to remember it? After seeing what she could do- killing people so easily without a second thought- maybe she didn't want it back. Maybe she didn't want to remember what she was before she lost her memory. But, disregarding her past, maybe it would be a good thing for her to join GI Joe. Like Scarlett said, if she joined up she would be able to walk around the Pit without needing an escort. That alone sounded very appealing. She still wasn't sure how well she could trust these people, but at least if she joined them there would be less eyes on her and it would be easier for her to escape if need be.

Midnight's Shadow sighed, breaking her moment of silence. "When do you want me to take the tests?"

The red head's smile broadened. "We'll come to get you tomorrow morning. It'll give you a chance to rest up."

Midnight's Shadow nodded. Her gaze shifted to Snake Eyes for a moment before returning to Scarlett. She nodded her head in the direction of the black ninja. "So why'd you bring him along. Worried that I would attack you and needed a body guard?"

Scarlett laughed lightly. "In a manner of speaking. Breaker told us about how you took him down. So, thought I should bring someone else along, just to be safe. You know, seeing as how your defensive reflexes are instinctual, if I did anything to make you perceive me as a threat then you would attack me. Obviously, I don't want that."

Midnight's Shadow inwardly cringed. She brought up her arms and crossed them over her chest, hugging herself. "I understand."

Scarlett's features softened. "Sorry."

"No, no," the dark haired woman raised her hands into the air as if to ward away her words. "Really. It's okay. I completely understand why you did it. I'm not offended or anything," she assured the other woman.

The red head relaxed a little. "Okay. Good." She rose to her feet, looking to Snake Eyes. The ninja kicked away from the wall he had been leaning against and headed to the door. Scarlett turned to look back to Midnight's Shadow. "We'll be back in the morning." She turned to head towards the door, but stopped. "Oh! I almost forgot!" She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out her iPod. She extended it to her, offering it. "Thought you could use something to occupy your time," she smiled.

Slowly, Midnight's Shadow reached up her hand and took it from her. "Thanks."

"No problem." Then, without another backwards glance, Scarlett and Snake Eyes left the room, locking the door behind them, leaving Midnight's Shadow in silence.


	12. The Joy of Exams

Midnight's Shadow stood amid the training area of the Pit. Today was the day that she would take her supposed "entrance exam" in order to gain entrance to GI Joe. She stood awkwardly among the crowd, unsure of where to go. Scarlett had left a short while ago to go and find Heavy Duty so that they could begin the testing. She cast her bright blue gaze around the room. She felt like everyone was staring at her. The dark haired woman shifted on her feet nervously, directing her gaze downward, as if the toes of her boots had suddenly become so fascinating. She brushed a stray lock of black hair behind her ear before crossing her arms over her chest.

Scarlett had come to collect her just a short while ago. She had led Midnight's Shadow down the maze of hallways and corridors that honeycombed their way through the solid rock. She had tried to remember the paths they took, trying to learn her way around the Pit, but in the end was unsuccessful. Upon entering the large training area, Scarlett had disappeared into the crowds, on a quest to find Heavy Duty.

Midnight's Shadow crossed her legs, keeping her gaze directed downward to avoid looking at the other soldiers that continued to pass by her. By not looking up, the dark haired woman didn't see someone making their way through the crowds towards her. When they neared, Midnight's Shadow felt their presence more than anything else. Her bright blue gaze shifted up until she looked directly into the masked face of Snakes Eyes.

"Hello," she said, feeling awkward under his gaze.

The black ninja nodded a greeting in response. He brought up his arms and crossed them over his broad chest.

"Did Scarlett or Heavy Duty send you to keep an eye on me?" she asked, cocking an elegant black eyebrow.

Snake Eyes shook his head.

Midnight's Shadow nodded slowly. She pursed her lips as she turned her head, looking back out over the crowd of soldiers moving between training stations. A silence ensued between the two of them. The dark haired woman felt as if she was going to explode with how uncomfortable and awkward the silence felt. She glanced sideways at the ninja, but, as usual, he seemed unaffected. Her blue gaze shifted back out to the crowd and felt a wave of relief when she saw Scarlett making her way towards them.

The red head smiled as she walked up to the two of them. "Keeping Shadow company?" she asked, her eyes locked on the black clad ninja. Snake Eyes merely nodded in response. Scarlett shifted her attention to Midnight's Shadow. "Ready to begin the test?"

The young woman nodded. "I guess so."

"Alright. Then follow me. I'll lead you to the first station." Scarlett gestured for her to follow, before turning around and walking into the crowd.

Midnight's Shadow hurried after, determined to keep pace. As she followed, the dark haired woman glanced over her shoulder. To her surprise, Snake Eyes wasn't following. He wasn't even standing where he had moments before. Her eyes skimmed the crowd, but found no trace of the ninja. He had simply melted into the throng of soldiers. She turned her attention forward once more, lengthening her stride to make up ground that had been lost while she had been looking behind her.

Her brow furrowed as she walked, her thoughts riveted upon the dark ninja. Why had he stood with her like that? He apparently hadn't done it to keep an eye on her. Or so he had said- in a manner of speaking. So why did he do that? It wasn't as if he did it to try to get to know her or anything like that.

She paused in her thoughts. How would he try to get to know her anyways? It wasn't as if he could ask questions. The man didn't talk. It worked both ways, too. How did anyone get to know him? The only questions you could ask and get an answer to were "yes" and "no" questions. Her gaze focused upon Scarlett ahead of her. Everyone that was a part of his team seemed completely at ease with him, friends even. Did they actually know anything about him? Or was it a sort of companionship born out of merely spending time together and the trust that they build when they entrust their lives in one another's hands? Midnight's Shadow wasn't entirely sure. Maybe she would ask Scarlett about it when she got the chance.

The two women emerged from the throng of soldiers until they stood before one of the stations. Midnight's Shadow immediately recognized it as one of the stations she had noticed the first time she stepped off of the elevator. It was the shooting range- designed to look like a miniature version of a dilapidated city. Standing at the forefront of the station was Heavy Duty, holding some sort of computer pad in his hand.

Scarlett walked straight up to a table next to a large monitor at the forefront of the station. Midnight's Shadow followed until she was close enough to see what lay upon the table- guns, in all different varieties. She looked up at the red head with a questioning expression.

Scarlett turned around to stand next to Heavy Duty and the monitor, a small controller in her hand. She nodded sideways at the table full of guns. "Pick what feels comfortable," she said very simply.

Midnight's Shadow looked back to the table. What felt comfortable? How was she supposed to know that? She took a few steps towards the table until she let her hands rest of the edge, her eyes skimming over each of them. Did she have experience with any of these guns? Midnight's Shadow remembered back to her escape- both from inside the terrorist facility and from the convoy. She had taken a pistol and used it with shocking familiarity. Could that have been the type of gun she used the most? The gun that she was comfortable with?

She was about to start to reach for the nearest pistol when a voice cut her off. "Wait a minute." Midnight's Shadow turned to see Heavy Duty take several steps toward her until he stood beside her next to the table. His hard brown gaze scanned the weapons briefly before he found what he was searching for. He reached over and picked up a large assault rifle. The British man turned to hand it to her, offering it. "Here. Try this one," he said. From the way he spoke, it didn't sound like a request.

Slowly, Midnight's Shadow reached out and took the large gun from him. Her blue gaze looked over the length of the gun as she adjusted her hold on it. She let one hand rest on the bottom of the front of the gun to support it while the other rested on the trigger. The back of the gun rested securely under her arm. Midnight's Shadow's brow furrowed. Something felt wrong about this. It felt awkward. Like she had never held this type of weapon before. Like it was completely unfamiliar to her.

Heavy Duty nodded slightly, a knowing gesture. He reached forward and took the gun from her, setting it back onto the table. "Well, one thing's for sure: you were never a soldier," he stated bluntly.

The dark haired woman looked at the British man questioningly. "What makes you say that?" she inquired.

The large man crossed his arms over his muscular chest. "Because, soldiers are trained to take apart, clean, and put back together those types of guns blindfolded. You don't even know how to hold it properly. So, reason dictates that you were never a soldier," Heavy explained.

Midnight's Shadow nodded her understanding. So, thanks to Heavy Duty, she now knew that she was never a soldier. But then, where did she learn to fight?

"Alright. Now that we have that out of the way, pick your weapon," Scarlett spoke up. She had picked up Heavy Duty's computer pad and tapped her finger a few times onto the smooth surface.

Midnight's Shadow nodded once again. Reaching down to the table once again, she wrapped her hand around the pistol that she had been eyeing moments before. Drawing it off the table, Midnight's Shadow looked to Scarlett and Heavy Duty for what to do next.

Scarlett tapped the screen of the pad a few more times before she tore her gaze away to look at Midnight's Shadow. "Okay. This is the urban combat center. This will test your accuracy with your gun, your reaction time, and your knowledge of combat tactics. Hologram soldiers will appear from anywhere inside this area. Your goal is to get kill shots on all of them. You will have one chance once they appear. You must be accurate and quick. Once they are shot, they will disappear. Any that you do not get a kill shot on will be marked as a hit. There will be twenty holograms in this simulation. Your end goal is to get all twenty killed. Understand?"

Midnight's Shadow nodded. She thought she could grasp the concept.

Scarlett gestured past her to the awaiting station. "Alright. Then take your place and we'll get started."

The dark haired woman walked past Scarlett, who offered a supportive smile, and Heavy Duty, who stood expressionless as he watched her. Midnight's Shadow's face contorted in concentration, readying herself. She half wondered if the past times where she had used a gun were just strokes of luck- luck that she had even hit her intended targets. She inwardly shook her head. No. That wasn't it. Holding and firing the pistol had felt familiar to her. It had felt comfortable in her hands- unlike the assault rifle had. She must have some sort of past experience with handling a pistol.

She took her place in the middle of the open area, surrounded on three sides by three buildings, each bearing an array of openings where an enemy could potential show itself and shoot at her. Her grip tightened on the pistol, her muscles tightening as she readied herself.

"Oh!" Midnight's Shadow looked over her shoulder at Scarlett. "By the way, the holograms do shoot back. It's only a minor electrical charge- nothing serious. If you get hit, we'll start the simulation over."

Midnight's Shadow nodded her understanding. Adjusting her feet into a ready stance, the dark haired woman directed her attention forward once more. Then, Scarlett hit a button on the controller, starting the timer and the simulation. Seeing movement directly in front of her, Midnight's Shadow brought up her pistol and fired her first round from the chamber and into the hologram.

* * *

For just over an hour, Scarlett and Heavy Duty tested her repeatedly at the urban combat center. Midnight's Shadow actually lost track of how many times she had gone through the simulation. According to Scarlett and Heavy Duty, they wanted to test her repeatedly to make sure that her scores were consistent. Apparently, Midnight's Shadow had done well on the course. Both of them seemed to be impressed with her scores. Her best run had been nineteen kills and one hit. Scarlett had said that was a very high score among previous tests. To be perfectly honest, Midnight's Shadow felt a little bashful upon hearing that. Heavy had said that her scores would be averaged and examined after she had completed each of her tests.

After the repeated testing on the urban combat simulator, Scarlett and Heavy Duty led her to array of different stations. Breaker made a brief appearance to test her familiarity with electronics and hacking. He had crafted some sort of program to test it. Midnight's Shadow took it several times, like the shooting test, to make sure she was consistent. According to Breaker, she had an above average familiarity with hacking. She was proficient but nowhere near the same level as the Moroccan was.

There were other tests, such as a cognitive and physical test. Apparently another part of the normal entrance exams was for the new potential recruit to be tested on their use of one of GI Joe's special attack subs. But seeing as how Midnight's Shadow appeared to not be a soldier, but a civilian- in a manner of speaking- they didn't deem it necessary for her to learn or test her. Besides, to Midnight's Shadow's understanding, if she did pass the tests, she would be only a temporary member of GI Joe. Once the terrorist threat has been neutralized, she would leave the Pit to reclaim her old life, now that the danger had passed. Midnight's Shadow wondered how long it would be before that happened. Or if with enough time, she would remember what her old life even was.

Now, after more than a few hours of tests, Scarlett was giving her a break. The red head had led her through the halls of the Pit until they arrived in a small rec room. It was filled with exercise equipment, a TV, shelves filled with movies, couches and chairs with pillows bearing the GI Joe emblem resting upon them, vending machines, and a gathering of cabinets with a coffee maker sitting on the counter. There was even a pool table. There were already a few soldiers in the rec room when they came in- working on exercise equipment or making a stop by the vending machines. Breaker was there as well, sitting on one of the couches, his laptop sitting in front of him on the coffee table and a bottle of water sitting beside it.

Midnight's Shadow looked over to Scarlett to see the red head digging in her pocket. When she drew out her hand, her fingers were wrapped around a few dollar bills. She handed her a few of them and stuffed the rest back into her pocket. "Here. You haven't had anything to eat since this morning." She nodded towards the vending machines. "Go ahead and get yourself something."

The dark haired woman gratefully took the money from Scarlett. "Thanks."

The red head smiled lightly. "No problem," she said. With that, she turned and headed over to the couches to sit beside Breaker.

Midnight's Shadow watched her for a moment before making her way over to the vending machines on the other side of the room. As she walked, the young woman glanced to her left to see inspirational posters mounted upon the wall. They were pictures of soldiers climbing a cargo net, climbing a mountain, or simply lifting weights. Below each of them were words like fortitude, strength, and tenacity. Midnight's Shadow smiled inwardly. She wondered if those posters ever did actually inspire anyone.

Within a few more steps, Midnight's Shadow stood before the vending machines. One was for snacks, the other for drinks. She inserted the dollar into the vending machine dedicated to snacks and looked at the wide array of choices, unsure of what to pick. She didn't know what any of them were, let alone if she liked them. She ran her fingers over the dollar bills clutched in her hand, unsure of what to choose. She wasn't entirely sure how long she stood there. This should be an easy decision, but yet it wasn't. She was merely picking out a snack and yet this was a more trying task than it should be. She began to feel frustration welling up inside of her.

She was just about to give up, to turn around and give Scarlett back her money back, when a hand reached past her. Glancing to the side in surprise, Midnight's Shadow found herself looking into the face of Heavy Duty. "I recommend the pretzels," he said. His fingers punched in the letter and number for the desired snack. Midnight's Shadow looked back to the machine as the metal rings began to spin until they released a small bag of pretzels. Heavy Duty leaned down, pushed back the flap, and drew out the bag. Turning back to the dark haired woman, he offered her the bag.

Midnight's Shadow smiled gratefully. "Thanks," she said, taking the bag from him. "I didn't realize that picking a snack would be so hard." She moved over to the next vending machine to pick a drink, Heavy Duty moving with her. She inserted another dollar bill into the vending machine. Her eyes once again skimmed over her choices before shifting to the British man beside her. "Any suggestions?"

"For you? I would say go for water as of now. Best to stay hydrated, right?" Heavy Duty smiled at her, breaking his normally stony expression. He clapped her on the shoulder and moved past her, going to join Breaker and Scarlett on the couch.

Midnight's Shadow watched him walk away for a moment, grateful for his help, before turning back to the vending machine. Punching in the correct number and letter, the vending machine released her desired bottle of water. Bending down, she retrieved it from the slot and walked over to join the others on the couch. She plopped down onto the couch on the other side of Breaker, while Scarlett and Heavy Duty had taken seats on the other side of the Moroccan. Her blue gaze passed over the screen of his laptop and was surprised to see a picture of her on one side of the screen. On the other side, the computer was rapidly flipping through pictures of other women, apparently scanning their faces.

Midnight's Shadow pointed to the screen. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Breaker tore his gaze away from his computer, looking at her as if he had just noticed she was sitting there. He pushed his glasses up a little farther onto the bridge of his nose. "I'm running an infinity scan," he told her very matter-of-factly.

The dark haired woman cocked her head slightly to the side in confusion. "What is that?"

"Through GI Joe's resources, we have access to any photograph on any server, anywhere in the world. Everyone gets photographed in some way at some point in time. Airports, public facilities, ATM machines," Breaker explained. "Through this, I'm confident that I can found out who you are."

Midnight's Shadow stiffened. "Really?"

"Really." She exhaled sharply, a slight smile creeping onto her lips. Breaker cocked an eyebrow at her reaction. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No. Just the opposite." She looked over at the Moroccan. "This is amazing. I thought I would have to wait for my memory to return- that is if it returned-before I could find out what my old life was. Now it seems, I won't have to. Thank you."

"Uhhh," Breaker looked back to his computer screen rather bashfully. "It will still take a while for it to come up with anything. As you can imagine, there are a lot of faces for it to sift through."

"But still. It's more hope than I had a minute ago. So, once again, thank you," she said, the grateful smile still on her lips.

Breaker nodded. "No problem."

* * *

A/N: Yay! Another chapter done! Lucky for you, this is now my priority story after I saw the new GI Joe movie (which btw was ten times better than the first one). I hope to get another chapter done tonight and post it tomorrow before I go to work. Fingers crossed! Please review!


	13. Unbeatable

Midnight's Shadow finished her small bag of pretzels and began to crumple up the bag, to momentary noise overpowering the TV. Getting up from her seat, she discarded it into the nearest trash can before returning to her seat on the couch. She had removed her boots, which now sat at the base of the couch. She drew her legs up to her chest like a small child, wrapping her arms around her knees. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she looked over to the other three people sharing the couch with her.

They had been sitting here for a good hour, taking a break from previous hours of tests. Inwardly, Midnight's Shadow was glad that Heavy Duty, Scarlett, and Breaker were here. It gave her the chance to get to know them a little better. Maybe it would even help her to trust them a little better- to get a glimpse of their intentions, if there were any ulterior motives behind them. She had felt the hidden agenda when she had been held captive by the terrorists. GI Joe certainly did feel different, and the more she talked with each of them, the more she felt that they really were the good guys. Still, just because they were friendly with her, didn't mean that she would trust them right off the bat. But at least for now, she was more at ease in their presence.

So, for their break, they had sat and talked with one another- just talked. Heavy Duty flipped through the channels on the TV as well, watching the news. The rest of them watched with him. Midnight's Shadow did her best to follow along, but much of what they talked about on the news was things she knew nothing about. She wondered if she had heard about it before she lost her memory or if she simply didn't pay attention to current events. Either way, she was struggling with even watching and understanding the news.

Luckily, Heavy Duty seemed to spot this as well. As they reported on new or continuing topics, the British man would explain it to her. Midnight's Shadow was grateful that he didn't verbally point out that she was struggling. It felt humiliating to be having such trouble with things as menial as picking a snack from a vending machine or following and understanding current events. But, even though he didn't say out loud what he was doing, Scarlett and Breaker seemed to catch on to what he was doing. Each of them were patient with her and answered any questions she had. Due to this, Midnight's Shadow felt herself lowering her defenses. Maybe these people weren't bad after all. They seemed to genuinely want to help her.

Midnight's Shadow's blue gaze looked over to Scarlett and Heavy Duty. "So what's next on the testing agenda?" she asked. Her voice sounded almost bored. To be perfectly honest, she just wanted to get the testing over with- like ripping off a Band-Aid. Midnight's Shadow paused in her thoughts. "Like ripping off a Band-Aid?" Where did that come from? Phrases like that made her wonder if her memory really was returned- albeit extremely slowly. Though, she didn't expect it to return immediately and not all at once.

Scarlett picked up her bottle of water and unscrewed the top with long, pale fingers. "There is only one thing left to test you on," the red head answered. She raised the bottle to her lips and took a long drink.

The dark haired woman tightened her grip around her knees. "What is it?" she asked. She was pretty sure she knew what it was. It was the test she had been dreading, and apparently the one they had saved for last.

Heavy Duty leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest as he did so. He regarded her for a brief moment with a stony expression. "We need to assess your fighting skill," he said.

Midnight's Shadow grimaced. She released her hold around her knees and let her feet return to the ground. "That's what I was afraid of," she sighed.

Scarlett closed her water bottle and set it down upon the coffee table. She looked to the other woman in confusion. "Why?"

"Because…," she bit her lower lip, searching for the words. "I don't want to take that part of the test."

Breaker's jaw went slack while Scarlett and Heavy Duty exchanged a look. "Why not? It isn't as if you won't pass. I saw how you took down those terrorist soldiers," the Moroccan said quickly, obviously just as dumbstruck as his other two comrades.

"That's exactly why I can't take this test." She paused for a moment as an image of the soldiers flashed through her mind. How she had shot them at point blank range. Had their blood splatter onto her. Seeing their eyes open and staring-lifeless, as their life blood seeped from their bodies and into the ground. Her brows furrowed as she tried to force the images from her mind. Midnight's Shadow took a breath before continuing. "As I have told you, when I fight, it's like instinct takes over. I can't control my own body. I just react. It's like I'm an outside observer, watching as I…," she cleared her throat. "If you test me against someone, I could kill them without meaning to. That is the last thing that I want to happen."

Scarlett made a comforting gesture. "I understand why you're worried but don't. We are testing you against one of our best. As good as Breaker said you were when he saw you fight out in the field, ours is better," she smiled.

This piqued a bit of curiosity inside Midnight's Shadow as she looked at the red head sideways. Still, she didn't feel convinced. "Who?"

"Snake Eyes, of course," Heavy spoke up.

Midnight's Shadow should have seen that coming. She recalled how experienced Storm Shadow had been when she had fought him. He was completely out of her league. She couldn't even touch him. It had been like he was toying with her. Snake Eyes was a ninja as well. Midnight's Shadow thought it was safe to assume that he was of the same skill level as Storm Shadow, but still. What if she was wrong?

She sighed, long and slow. "I don't know."

"Trust us. We've been on a team with Snake for years. Not once, have I ever seen anyone- in the field or in the training area- even land a hit on him. The man is untouchable," Scarlett told her, with no small degree of admiration and awe in her voice.

Still, a deep frown remained on the dark haired woman's face. She wasn't entirely convinced.

"Alright." Scarlett stood up suddenly. She strode over until she stood before Midnight's Shadow. She pointed down at the young woman's discarded boots. "Put your boots on. You are going to see for yourself."

* * *

Scarlett and Heavy Duty led the way as they moved through the masses, Midnight's Shadow and Breaker following behind. Crowds of soldiers still moving back and forth on errands or moving between stations in the training area. Midnight's Shadow wondered if this was all they had to do when they weren't on missions. Did they just spend all their free time training or did they actually have jobs to do?

Suddenly, Scarlett pulled back until she was walking alongside Midnight's Shadow. The dark haired woman looked sideways at her. The red head pointed through the crowd just ahead of them. Midnight's Shadow looked to where she was pointing to see a group of soldiers ringing a small matted area. Within that area, she could catch glimpses of movement, but nothing else. There were simply too many soldiers gathered around for her to see what they were watching. Lengthening her strides, Midnight's Shadow pushed her way through the crowds to reach the area ahead of them. When they reached it, she had to raise herself slightly onto the tips of her toes and peer over a few of the soldier's shoulders in order to see what lay beyond.

"Want to sit on my shoulders?" she heard Heavy Duty chuckle.

She threw him an irritated look before returning her gaze to what lay beyond the throng of soldiers. As she should have expected, it was Snake Eyes. But he wasn't alone. Another rather young looking soldier stood across from him on the mat. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving. A layer of sweat coated his brow, dripping onto the mat below. He was bent over, his hands resting on his knees as he fought to catch his breath. Snake Eyes, on the other hand, didn't even seem to be affected. His breathing was even and he was standing tall, patiently waiting for the other man to make a move.

Then, all at once, the soldier attacked. He rushed Snake Eyes, determined to catch him off guard. Even Midnight's Shadow knew that was a stupid move. He was moving so fast, that he left himself wide open to a single, well-placed attack from the black clad ninja. And, just as she had predicted, Snake Eyes simply brought up his leg, and with blinding speed kicked the soldier back. The other man stumbled back, but quickly recovered and went on the offensive once again. One thing Midnight's Shadow could give the soldier credit for: he didn't give up easily. Maybe that was an attributing factor to him being recruited by GI Joe.

The soldier and Snake Eyes continued to spar- or at least, if that's what you want to call it. Snake Eyes wasn't even trying. Midnight's Shadow watched the fight for about five minutes. All throughout that time, Snake Eyes did not move an inch from where he had been standing when she first walked up. It was like he was toying with the other man. His attacks would batter him back in rapid and precise strikes. When the soldier needed to recover, he would stand and patiently wait for him to catch his breath. He never made the first move. He only reacted when the soldier attacked. As she watched, she couldn't help but think how he was probably going to be more than a match for her.

She glanced sideways at her companions. She saw Heavy Duty and Breaker laughing quietly as the black ninja toyed with his opponent. Scarlett watched with an aloof sort of expression from beside Midnight's Shadow. The red head looked at the dark haired woman, noticing her gaze. "Something wrong?"

"Well," her dark brows furrowed slightly as a few questions came into the forefront of her mind. Her bright blue gaze shifted to the soldier as the black ninja continued to batter back his opponent, like how a cat plays with a mouse before it eventually finishes it off. "I was kind of wondering," she looked back to Scarlett. "I mean, you're friends with Snake Eyes, right?"

Scarlett nodded. "Of course."

"How do you talk to him? I mean, when you first went off to start prepping the tests, Snake Eyes came to stand with me, like you saw. I didn't know how to talk to him. It's not like we can really have a conversation. It's more of me talking at him while he just stands there and stares at me. How did you become friends with him if you can't even carry on a conversation with him and get to know him?" she asked, her eyes carefully watching the black ninja.

The red head laughed lightly. She reached up a hand and tucked a few strands of flaming red hair behind her ears. "Well, I will admit I found it challenging the same way that you do," she grinned.

"You mean, he was here before you?" she inquired, cocking an elegant black eyebrow.

The other woman nodded. "I was accepted into GI Joe about a year and a half ago. Snake Eyes was here before that."

"So, how did you become friends?"

"Well, it was awkward at first- as you have already noticed. But, he has a way of showing you want he wants to say. It's true that you can't have a normal conversation with him, but yet the more time you spend with him…," Scarlett paused, searching for the words. "You will be able to, sort of, feel what he wants to say or is thinking. It's hard to describe until you get to know him better. My recommendation: spend time with him and you'll begin to see what I mean."

Midnight's Shadow nodded. What does she mean? "Feel what he wants to say?" How would you feel something like that? She isn't a mind reader. What if she never learns how to communicate with the silent ninja? Would she be doomed to more awkward interactions like the one she had earlier that day until she was allowed to leave? It could be months, even years before they found and eradicated the terrorists and she would be allowed to leave. She didn't exactly want to avoid him, but yet she didn't know how to talk with him. According to Scarlett, spending time with Snake Eyes would allow her to be able to communicate with him more easily. But that meant that there would be a lot more awkward social interactions before that actually happened.

As she looked back to the fight, Midnight's Shadow caught a glimpse of the young soldier stumbling into the crowd, his hand clutching his stomach and his other waving in defeat. Another imposing soldier emerged from the crowd. He appeared to be a high ranking officer of some kind. "Alright. As predicted, Snake Eyes wins again," he called out. "Is there anyone else who would like to challenge him?" The officer's eyes skimmed over the crowd looking for anyone to step forward or raise their hands. Snake Eyes' head turned as he examined the crowd as well. Midnight's Shadow thought he looked bored. Or maybe it was confidence. Then again, it could be both. It was probably rare for someone of his skill to find an opponent who could match him.

Suddenly, Midnight's Shadow felt Scarlett grab her wrist to raise her hand into the air. "Right here! We have a newbie who needs to be tested," she called.

The dark haired woman paled as suddenly all eyes turned to her. "Scarlett!" she hissed. "What the hell?!"

The red head smiled mischievously. "You'll be fine. It's like a rite of passage to get your ass kicked by Snake Eyes. And according to Breaker," she briefly glanced at the Moroccan man who was standing next to her before looking back to Midnight's Shadow. "You might just give him a run for his money. Besides, you need to finish your testing anyways. Now," she walked behind the dark haired woman, who stood frozen, her blue eyes wide. She placed her hands onto her shoulders. "Just go out there and do your best."

Then, with a none too gentle push, Scarlett shoved her through the crowd of soldiers to stand before the waiting Snake Eyes.

* * *

A/N: Wow. I am on fire! Posted chapter twelve came home and wrote this chapter super fast and now I'm already working on the next one. That will probably be the one I post tomorrow then before I go to work. Yay for fast updates!

As always, please review!


	14. The Snake and the Shadow

A/N: Sorry about the wait. Bad weather, illness, work, and McDonald's stupid Wi-Fi kept me from posting another chapter. In addition, it took me longer to actually choreograph the Midnight's Shadow/Snake Eyes fight scene. But, I finally got it done and am very proud of the end result. Enjoy!

Oh! And by the way, don't panic if I don't post immediately. I never give up on my stories and I am certainly not giving up on this one. I think I may instigate a posting day. Like every Friday I'll post whatever I got done that week. That way, it'll also save me gas because I actually have to drive to McDonalds to post these chapters and it's sucking all of my money away. And I would really like to keep my money.

Midnight's Shadow stumbled through the group of soldiers in front of her after Scarlett pushed her. They did their best to get out of the way, but she still ended up tripping slightly over a foot. She staggered out onto the mat, her hands held out to help catch her balance. After a brief moment, when she sure she had her feet securely beneath her, Midnight's Shadow threw a murderous glare over her shoulder at Scarlett. The red head offered a small smile and a wave. Heavy Duty and Breaker were grinning, knowing what was to come. Then, the wall of spectators closed and she could no longer see them.

"Well!" Midnight's Shadow turned her attention back to the officer. "It appears we have our next challenger!" He gestured for her to come forward. The dark haired woman glanced from side to side nervously. The man smiled broadly, breaking his tough appearance. "Don't be shy. Come on." Straightening herself, Midnight's Shadow took a few strides forward until she stood beside the man. He clapped her on the shoulder in a friendly gesture. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Umm," the dark haired woman glanced warily about, feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of so many people. She returned her blue gaze back to the officer, determined to keep her attention on him and not on the spectators. "Midnight's Shadow," she answered.

She half expected the other man to laugh at such an outlandish name, but he didn't. She had to inwardly remind herself that at GI Joe, everyone had such a name. She felt his grip tighten slightly upon her shoulder. "Midnight's Shadow. A fine name. Do you think you can beat our own resident ninja?" he asked with a playful tone.

The dark haired woman bit her lower lip. She found her eyes wandering over to find Snake Eyes. The black ninja stood where he had during the entire spar with the previous soldier. His arms were crossed over his chest as he watched her through his dark visor. Midnight's Shadow felt that uncomfortable feeling welling up inside of her- making her want to squirm under the intensity of his gaze. It always felt like he was staring at her. Like he was sizing her up or perhaps doing the same thing she was doing- trying to deem if she was trustworthy or not. Then again, who could tell? Maybe it only felt like he was staring because there were no facial expressions to accompany them.

Snake Eyes simply stared at her- his thoughts unknowable. Midnight's Shadow stared back, unsuccessfully trying to reason out what he was thinking as he looked at her. Finally, she shrugged and looked back to the officer. "I don't know. I suppose it's worth a shot," she answered.

The other man laughed heartily, a few scattered laughs joining him from the surrounding soldiers. "Well, best of luck to you. Snake," he looked to the black clad ninja. Snake Eyes tore his attention from Midnight's Shadow to look at the officer when he heard his name. "You ready?"

The black clad ninja nodded. He returned his gaze to Midnight's Shadow. He uncrossed his arms, letting them fall to his side.

"Alright then. Whenever you're ready," the officer said very simply. With one last clap on Midnight's Shadow's shoulder, he turned and rejoined the throng of soldiers.

Midnight's Shadow watched him walk away before turning her attention back to Snake Eyes. The black clad ninja stood there, waiting for her to make a move. She cast another wary glance around her, looking at all the expectant faces. She saw a few of them exchanging money. Were they placing bets? Midnight's Shadow forced it out of her mind and directed her attention forward once more. All that mattered was the here and now, along with a certain black ninja standing before her. As she looked at him, she couldn't help but to remember when she had stood across from Storm Shadow and fought him. It seemed like so long ago when, in reality, it was nothing more than a few days ago. It felt like an eternity.

Once again, Midnight's Shadow had to force away any thoughts in her mind. One thing she had noticed about herself was that she could never seem to turn her mind off. The dark haired woman planted her feet upon the mat, readying herself into a fighting stance. She took a calming breath, clearing her mind. She felt the surrounding area beyond the line of the mat disappearing-melting away. The watchful eyes of the soldiers disappeared. Their voices distorted until they became silent altogether. Her bright blue eyes opened to fixate upon the black figure before her. Everything else had disappeared. The world beyond the mat was a blank canvas, the entire area still and silent. All distractions were gone. There was only Snake Eyes and Midnight's Shadow.

Snake Eyes nodded, as if to confirm that she was indeed ready. Midnight's Shadow nodded back. Everything was so quiet, that she was sure that she could hear her own heartbeat. They both stood there for the longest time, patiently waiting for the other to make the first move. Midnight's Shadow was sure that Snake Eyes was used to his opponents making the first move-making that their first and last mistake. She was not going to make the same mistake. So, she was content to stand there and await his move. But they stood there for so long that she actually began to wonder if the fight had actually started or if Snake Eyes thought he was still waiting for her to get ready. But just as that thought crossed her mind, the black clad ninja attacked.

He crossed the mat with blinding speed. His leg raised up, poised to strike her. But yet, somehow, Midnight's Shadow was fast enough to block this attack, which was more than likely aimed at knocking her back. The dark haired woman brought up her own leg, meeting his in midair and effectively stopping its advance. Her foot hooked around his and forced it back down to the mat, keeping it in place. Seizing her chance, Midnight's Shadow brought up her fist and attempted to punch Snake Eyes' masked face.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if they were supposed to be holding back. Then again, she wasn't entirely sure if she was capable of commanding her own body to hold back. She supposed that it was a good sign that she hadn't snapped Snake Eyes' neck yet. The mere thought of that caused a brief shiver to travel down her spine before she returned her attention to the fight at hand.

Her fist cut through the air towards the ninja's masked face, but Snake Eyes was too quick. His arm raised and effectively blocked the attempted attack with his forearm. Bringing up her other arm, Midnight's Shadow tried to punch him from the other side. Once again, the black clad ninja was too quick. But instead of simply blocking it, he grabbed her wrist. In one swift movement he twisted her arm behind her back. Then, with a turn of his foot which was still pinned to the ground by Midnight's Shadows' own foot, he turned the restraint against her. She lost her footing and landed on the mat, hard.

Despite herself, Midnight's Shadow felt her temper flare. Her face and body stung from where she had struck the mat. That was not even remotely gentle. She wondered if Snake Eyes was even bothering to hold back. The dark haired woman turned her head to look up at the black ninja with a murderous glare. He leaned over her, still holding her arm firmly against her back. He noticed her gaze and cocked his head slightly to the side, as if he was confused about why she was angry.

That was when Midnight's Shadow noticed something. Snake Eyes was merely pinning her to the mat with one hand, holding her arm securely behind her back. That was the only thing confining her to the floor. If Snake Eyes was smart, he would pin her legs as well. That way, he could ensure she wouldn't escape his grasp. But he wasn't. Did that mean that the fight was over? The murderous intent left her blue eyes as she looked up at the ninja, waiting for him to release her. But he didn't. It was like he was waiting for something…

And then, it dawned on her. He was waiting for her to escape his grasp so they could continue the fight. This was a part of the test. Snake Eyes was testing the extent of her skills. This wasn't about winning the fight. It was about seeing what she could do. Suddenly, another realization occurred to her. He had been directing this fight the entire time- ensuring that they entered situations that would test her combat skills. A skill like how to escape from being pinned to the ground.

Through this realization, Midnight's Shadow recognized just how far out of her league Snake Eyes was. He was so good that he could almost sit back, determine the entire flow of the fight before it happens, and then tweak it in just a few spots so that it can go the way he wants. She was no match for him.

She inwardly steeled herself. But that didn't mean that she was giving up. With as much strength as she could muster, Midnight's Shadow raised her leg and struck out at the dark ninja, intent on landing a blow to his hip. In order to dodge this, Snake Eyes was forced to release his hold on her and jump out of the way. As soon as he released her, Midnight's Shadow was on her feet at once. More than likely out of her residual anger from being slammed to the mat, the dark haired woman immediately went on the offensive. Closing the short distance between them, Midnight's Shadow raised her leg to kick Snake Eyes in the head. It was almost as if she had done the attack in slow motion. He leaned back just enough as her foot cut through the air mere inches from his masked face. Once it passed, he straightened into his previous posture. Missing its mark, Midnight's Shadows' foot passed by Snake Eyes and landed back on the mat. As soon as it touched down, Midnight's Shadow spun around, using the momentum to launch another kick with her other leg, this one with more speed and power behind it. This time, instead of dodging the kick like he had the first, Snake Eyes reached up and grabbed her ankle, effectively halting her attack.

Midnight's Shadow had no choice but to pause. Now what? Her mind instantly came up with an idea, but it was certainly a risky move. If it didn't help to free her, then she would only end up hurting herself. Still, no other option presented itself and Snake Eyes didn't seem keen to release his hold on her leg.

Taking a few minute hops on her free leg to adjust herself, Midnight's Shadow tensed her muscles in preparation. After taking a brief breath, she attacked. She pushed off from the mat with her only free leg and jumped into the air with as much strength as she could muster. She twisted through the air, swinging her leg through the air towards Snake Eyes' head once again. As expected, the ninja saw the attack coming and instantly released his hold on her leg.

Perhaps it was out of surprise. Perhaps it was just so that he could dodge the attack. Or, maybe it was because if she missed and he held onto her leg, Midnight's Shadow would continue to spin, twisting her restrained leg. The end result would be her dislocating or turning something the wrong way around in her ensnared leg and then a broken nose from when she would slam back onto the mat because she wouldn't' be able to get her free leg back underneath her in time. Somewhere inside, Midnight's Shadow was sure that the last one was a definite contributing factor. Snake Eyes didn't seem like the type to unnecessarily harm comrades in practice fights. The most that they would walk away with would be a few bruises and some sore muscles.

Her leg newly released, Midnight's Shadow managed to complete the spin and land securely back on her feet. Instinctually, the dark haired woman ducked and dodge rolled away. Rolling back onto her feet, she turned around to see that she had narrowly missed an attempt by Snake Eyes to ensnare her once again from behind. She couldn't help but have a slight smile cross her face as she realized how she had managed to dodge the attempted attack. It was because Storm Shadow had done the same exact move when they had fought one on one not so very long ago.

The two of them continued to spar for the next hour or so. Snake Eyes consistently employed different techniques, restraints, and attacks to test the extent of her skills. Midnight's Shadow was able to keep pace with him, but mainly because he was obviously holding back for the test- unlike Storm Shadow had. It was rather amazing. As they sparred, Midnight's Shadow noticed similarities between the way that Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes fought. From techniques to their inhuman speed to even the way that they moved- they mirrored each other. The dark haired woman wondered if it was merely because they were both ninjas and they were all taught to fight in such a way. Or maybe it was more than that. What if, somehow, they knew each other? In the end, Midnight's Shadow threw the thought away. She had met two ninjas in a matter of days while an average person might not even see one within their lifetime. The odds of the two of them knowing each other were certainly not in her favor.

So, after the hour was up, and Midnight's Shadow was knocked down more than once, the soldier from before stepped forward from the crowd. He rested his hand firmly on her shoulder, stopping her as she tried go back and attack Snake Eyes. As soon as she felt the pressure on her shoulder, she halted her determined advance and turned to look at him questioningly.

Instantly, a smile was on the other man's face. "That's enough. I'd say that you've more than proven yourself." He turned to look at the black clad ninja. "Right, Snake?"

Midnight's Shadow looked to the dark ninja. Snake Eyes crossed his arms over his broad chest and nodded. Despite herself, the dark haired woman felt a light blush rise to her cheeks from the complement from the ninja. She shifted her feet rather awkwardly as she briefly averted her gaze, her blue eyes darting down to look at her feet before shifting back up to look at the masked ninja. Snake Eyes' head shifted in her direction. Under the intensity and weight behind that gaze, Midnight's Shadow immediately looked away, returning her gaze to the officer.

"But I didn't win," she stated in a dreamy sort of way.

The other man laughed heartily and clapped her roughly on her shoulder. "Well, it's the closest I've seen any of us ever get. Which makes you," he raised a hand and poked her shoulder, "the second best hand-to-hand fighter that we have. Congratulations. It looks like you've passed you're hand-to-hand test with flying colors."


	15. A Second Chance

Midnight's Shadow sat upon one of the couches in the rec room. Her boots were discarded upon the ground. She had drawn her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to hold them in place, while her chin rested on the tops of her knees. It must have been decently late at night because the Pit was nearly silent. Only soldiers patrolling the halls or a few techs finishing up some last minute work were the ones still awake. Everyone else had long retired to their quarters for the night. So, for now, Midnight's Shadow sat alone, waiting to hear the result of her test-to learn if she was accepted into the GI Joes.

Midnight's Shadow wondered to herself if she even should. It was temporary-only until the terrorists who had held her captured were apprehended or wiped out. And if she joined, she would gain access to their resources and be able to discover her past more quickly, instead of having to wait for her memory to return. But that was the problem. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to remember. After seeing what she can do to people-shooting them, slashing their throats, breaking their necks- she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what kind of a person she was before she lost her memory. She was definitely a hard sort of person from the way she could kill others so easily without a second thought. It was disturbing. What if she regained her memory and it was filled with memories of other people she had killed? She was already having trouble dealing with the terrorists she had killed within the past few days. What would it be like to remember a lifetime of killings? Midnight's Shadow wasn't sure if she could handle such a thing. She half wondered to herself if there was a way to prevent her memory from returning- just so that she didn't have to remember the other lives that she had taken.

The sound of footsteps alerted her to someone's presence. Midnight's Shadows' head snapped up from its resting place upon the tops of her knees, her blue eyes searching for the source. She instantly found it in the form of Heavy Duty and Scarlett walking towards her, entering the rec room from the hall. The each took a seat on the couch beside her, causing the dark haired woman to slide away just a little to make room. Her blue eyes looked at them questioningly. "Well?" she asked.

An unexpected smile broke onto Heavy Duty's face, breaking his hard persona. "You've been accepted into the Joes. You were actually in the top twenty five percent of all people ever tested, according to General Hawk," he told her.

"Which means," Scarlett began, scooting forward in her seat so that Midnight's Shadow could see her better from behind the large frame of the British man, "that you qualify to join the Alpha team. You can be one of us."

Midnight's Shadows' blue eyes shifted between the two of them rapidly. "'Can be,'" she repeated. "What does that mean?"

"Well, you are given a choice if you wish to join our team. After you are tested, you are assigned to a team that has the same level of abilities as you do, but it is ultimately your choice if you want to join Alpha team," Scarlett said, her voice gentle.

Midnight's Shadow tightened her grip around her legs, drawing them even closer to her chest. Her blue gaze drifted from to other two to focus upon the coffee table and the magazine laying upon it, as if it had suddenly become very interesting. "I don't know," she said rather quietly after a moment of silence.

"You don't know?" Heavy Duty repeated with incredulity. "What do you mean you don't know?"

The dark haired woman's eyebrows narrowed slightly. "I mean, I don't know," she repeated with a hard edge to her voice.

The red haired woman placed a calming hand on Heavy Duty's shoulder. The British man looked over his shoulder at her, noticed her warning glare, and then leaned back into the couch with a huff. Scarlett then turned her attention back to Midnight's Shadow. "What I think Heavy is trying to say is that, well, not to sound arrogant, but we are the best team that GI Joe has to offer. Other soldiers work their asses off, hoping to get a spot on our team, but not many do. Now, when we are offering you a position on the Alpha Team, you're not sure." She cocked her head slightly to the side. "Why is that?"

"Look, I'm sorry. I'm sure that it is a great honor or some such to be offered to join the GI Joes, let alone the Alpha Team. I'm just not sure if it's such a great idea," Midnight's Shadow answered, her gaze still riveted upon the magazine.

Scarlett's brow furrowed in confusion. "And why would it not be a good idea?"

Midnight's Shadow tore her gaze away from the enthralling magazine to look at the other woman. "Because…because I don't know what I am. I mean, the things that I can do, no ordinary person should know how to do. Of that, I am absolutely positive. Does it mean that I was some sort of killer? An assassin? Some sort of mercenary? Or perhaps just a psychopath who enjoyed killing?" The dark haired woman scoffed at that last one. "If I was any one of those things, then I don't want to remember." Her gaze moved away from Scarlett, becoming unfocused. "If I join GI Joe, then perhaps you will help me recover the secrets of my past faster than I can remember them- a past I am not entirely certain that I want to remember. And if I join the Alpha Team, I would be indulging in more killing. As soldiers, it's what you're trained to do when necessary, right?" She looked back to them for a response, showing them that the question was not rhetorical.

Both Scarlett and Heavy Duty nodded in agreement.

"See? I don't want to become that person again. I will not," she declared firmly.

"And you don't have to," Heavy duty said, speaking up.

This caught Midnight's Shadow by surprise. She had been expecting them to try and convince her that she needed to remember, reclaim her old life, and try to reassure her that she was not someone employed in the art of killing. The dark haired woman shifted her bright blue gaze to his face. "What?"

"I know that you're scared as hell that you may have been some hard core killer in your past. Frankly, that's what I was a bit worried about in the beginning as well. But now," he shook his head. "I'm not so sure you were."

Midnight's Shadow cocked her head to the side ever so slightly. "What makes you say that?" she inquired.

"You told us that your body reacts on instinct, that you would kill people without a second thought. If that's true, then what are you doing now?" Heavy asked her. He was silent for a moment, letting it sink in. "You say that you kill others without a second thought, but yet here you sit, clearly upset by the lives you have taken and vowing not to take any more. It seems like a second thought to me."

Midnight's Shadow sat frozen, her blue eyes wide with undisguised surprise. Her gaze moved away, becoming unfocused once more as she thought back-back to all the times she had thought about the men she had killed, thinking it had been without another thought while, in reality, she had thought of them more than just twice.

"Look, you may have been one of those things before. I won't deny that there isn't a chance of that. But, you must also see that there is still a shred of humanity left within you that feels guilty for every life you take." He leaned forward, crossing his arms and resting his elbows on his knees. He looked her square in the eye, drawing Midnight's Shadows' gaze once more. "The way that I see it, this…amnesia that you have is a blessing in disguise."

"Heavy…" Scarlett began, clearly unsure of where he was going with this, but was cut off by a sharp hand gesture from Heavy Duty.

"How is this supposed to be a blessing?" Midnight's Shadow asked, her voice sounding weary. Deep down, she was genuinely curious to see how he could spin amnesia into something positive.

"The way that I see it, you've been given a second chance. If you really were any of those things before you lost your memory, then you now have the opportunity to reforge yourself into something better than you were," he told her.

Midnight's Shadow was silent for a long time, considering his words. Then, slowly, a smile crept onto her face. "You're right," she said.

"Of course I am," he smirked.

Her smile faded a little. "But, even if I do join, there still is the problem of not being able to control my own body when I am in a fight. What happens when I don't want to hurt or kill someone, but I can't even stop myself?"

"Actually," Scarlett spoke up, drawing Heavy Duty and Midnight's Shadows' attention. "I've been thinking about that. Why don't you ask Snake Eyes for help?"

The dark haired woman cocked an eyebrow. "Snake Eyes?"

Scarlett nodded. "You obviously were not able to kill him, which I see as a good sign. He is able to hold his own against you-probably the only one in the Pit who can. I'm sure if you ask him, he can find some way to help you," she said.

Midnight's Shadow shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "I don't know…"

Scarlett laughed lightly. "Just ask him tomorrow. Now," she rose to her feet, Heavy Duty rising with her. "I suppose it's time to show you to your new room."

The young woman's dark eyebrows raised in surprise. "My own room?" she repeated questioningly.

Scarlett's smile widened. "Yeah. You didn't think we were going to keep you in that cell during your entire stay, did you?"

Midnight's Shadow shrugged.

The red head rolled her eyes. "Come on."

* * *

Scarlett and Heavy Duty led the way through the maze of hallways that honeycombed their way through the Pit. After a few minutes of walking, they turned down a side hall. It was short, with only four evenly spaced doors on either side and two more doors at the end of the hallway, which looked like it led to two separate bathrooms. Scarlett walked a little ways down the hall, both Heavy Duty and Midnight's Shadow following, and stopped before the third door on the right. Reaching out her hand, she gripped the handle, causing the door to swing inward. Walking forward, Midnight's Shadow peered through the now open doorway and into the room beyond.

It was simple. A small bed was against one wall, already with a pillow and plain blue cotton blankets. A nightstand with a lamp and clock-the lamp being the only source of light in the room. There was a dresser pressed up against the other wall. As Midnight's Shadow looked closer, she noticed that her shoulder bag had already been brought into the room for her and was now sitting upon the top of her dresser.

Midnight's Shadow stepped past Scarlett and Heavy Duty, continuing to look at the room. This was her room. Without really realizing it, she reached up and gripped the necklace bearing the sun and moon charms, turning them over and over between her fingertips.

"So? Do you like it?" she heard the red head ask from behind her.

She nodded without turning around. "It's better than the cell. Though, at the same time, it is strikingly similar to it, with the addition of a few pieces of furniture."

"Once you get your first paycheck, you can talk to the requisitions officer. He can get you nearly anything you want to customize your room the way you want," Heavy Duty told her.

Midnight's Shadow turned halfway around, looking at them quizzically. "Why would they do that? Isn't this technically the army?"

"Yes, but we are literally stuck in a Pit for who knows how long. It's good to make this place feel like home in any way you can," he answered.

Midnight's Shadow nodded, turning back to looking at her new room.

"Okay, bathrooms are at the end of the hall. My room is to the right of yours and Breaker's is to the left. Heavy's room is across from mine and Snake Eyes' room is across from yours. If you need anything, come get one of us," Scarlett informed her.

"Thanks," Midnight's Shadow said gratefully.

Heavy Duty nodded and turned to leave the room. Scarlett offered a friendly smile. "No problem. Welcome to the Joes." With that, she turned and followed Heavy from the room, closing the door behind her.

Midnight's Shadow watched the door close before turning back around. With a few long strides, she crossed the room and sat down upon the edge of her new bed, her blue eyes still scanning the room. This was her room. In a way, this was her new home. Looking sideways, her eyes locked onto her shoulder bag, one of the few remnants of her old life. Reaching over, she picked it up, feeling the cool leather under her fingertips, and clutched it close to her chest as if it were a lifeline. Kicking off her boots, Midnight's Shadow scooted back onto her bed. Tilting to her side, she laid down, not bothering to pull back the covers. Her head rested on the soft pillow. As she lay down, a sheen of long, messy, black hair momentarily covered her face before she quickly pushed it back. She still clutched the shoulder bag tightly to her chest. Midnight's Shadow wondered if it smelled or felt familiar because, for some reason, she found its presence to be comforting. Reaching up a hand, she gripped her necklace once again. She pulled it forward, letting the charms rest in the palm of her hand so that she could see them better. The silver shaped glinted in the light of the lamp as she looked at them.

A second chance. Her new life with the Joes was her second chance.

Then, Midnight's Shadow reached up her hand and turned off the lamp, plunging the room into near darkness. Only the light from the hallway leaking under the door provided any semblance of light. Feeling a strange sense of contentment, Midnight's Shadow sighed. Closing her dark lashes over her blue eyes, Midnight's Shadow was asleep in mere seconds, feeling safer than she had in days.


	16. A New Life

Midnight's Shadow was awakened to the sound of someone knocking on her door. With a tired groan, she rolled onto her ride. Reaching up a hand, she wiped the sleep from her blue eyes and brushed back a mess of black hair that had fallen in front of her face. Raising herself up onto one elbow, Midnight's Shadow looked at the clock sitting on the nightstand. 10:27.

The knocking on the door sounded again. With a sigh, the dark haired woman set aside the shoulder bag that she had been holding during the night. Placing her hands on either side of her, gripping the sides of the bed. Then, with as much strength as her tired body could manage, Midnight's Shadow rose to her feet. She was instantly struck with how sore she was-her entire body aching and hurting. She paused in that thought-tossing it away. No. She wasn't sore. She actually had bruises all over her body-black and blue reminders of her fight with Snake Eyes. The ninja had most definitely been holding back during their fight, but that didn't mean he didn't hit back.

As a third set of knocks sounded on the door, Midnight's Shadow quickly walked to the door, ignoring the aching of the bruises all over her body. Extending her hand, she gripped the handle and tugged open the door. Midnight's Shadow was instantly greeted by the face of Scarlett.

The red head was dressed in camo pants, black tank top, and combat boots. Her long, flaming black hair was drawn up into a neat ponytail behind her head. She looked at the other woman, amusement evident in her blue eyes. "Good night's sleep?" she asked.

Midnight's Shadow leaned against the door frame as she looked at Scarlett. "I'd say, if it's not a drug induced sleep, then it was a good night's sleep," she said dryly in her scratchy morning voice. "So then yes. Yes, I did."

"Wow. You're cheery in the morning," Scarlett observed. "Well, you should be happy because I let you sleep in a few extra hours. I figured you were pretty tired from the eventful few days you've had."

Midnight's Shadow scoffed. "No kidding." Her blue eyes looked squarely into Scarlett's own. "Thanks."

The other woman nodded. "No problem." She gestured to the dark haired woman's clothes. "I guess I should have let you borrow some pajamas or something last night, huh?"

Midnight's Shadow glanced down at her rumpled outfit. She was still wearing the same clothes given to her by Storm Shadow the day he came into her cell to begin the trip to meet the Doctor at the other facility. She looked back up at Scarlett and shrugged. "It doesn't really matter what I sleep in does it? I mean, it's not like I'm awake to care about what I'm wearing and I'm pretty sure no one else is either," she told her, a smirk in her voice. She tilted her head to the side, letting it rest on the door frame, not taking her eyes off the other woman as she did so.

Scarlett laughed lightly. "I guess you're right about that. Nevertheless, you can't wear that one outfit for the rest of your life. Here, follow me." The red head gestured for her to follow and Midnight's Shadow complied, pushing away from her spot against the door frame. She followed her out of her room, shutting the door behind her. Scarlett walked only a couple of feet to her right until she stood before the door to her own room. Turning the handle, the door swung inward and the two women entered, the door shutting behind them.

Scarlett's room looked nearly identical to her own, with the addition of more color. The room still comprised of a bed, nightstand, and dresser. The difference with Scarlett's room was that pictures and frames decorated every available surface and wall-pictures of what Midnight's Shadow could only assume to be friends and family. There was a bookshelf against the wall at the end of the bed filled to maximum capacity with books. But these were no ordinary books that someone would read for pleasure. These books were more like textbooks.

Scarlett moved over to her dresser and began to rummage through her drawers. She would occasionally draw out an article of clothing that appealed to her and set it on the top of the dresser before delving into the drawers once more.

As she did that Midnight's Shadow moved over to the bookshelf to get a better look at its contents. Each book seemed to deal with some complex and advanced subjects. Mathematics, physics, biology, and books on an array of different languages lined the shelves. As she looked at the titles, Midnight's Shadow half wondered to herself if she knew anything about the topics that these books discussed.

The dark haired woman looked sideways at the other woman, who was still busy digging through her dresser. "Are you a genius?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Scarlett laughed. The blue eyes shifted from her work within the dresser to look at Midnight's Shadow. "I don't want to sound self-absorbed by saying yes," she answered rather playfully. She looked back to the dresser as she pulled out another piece of clothing and set it on top of the growing stack.

Midnight's Shadow looked back at the shelf once more. "What a boring answer," she said tauntingly.

The red head let out a scoffing laugh. "Would you like me to change my answer?" she questioned, glancing up from her work briefly.

"No. The moment has passed." The dark haired woman looked over at her. "How many clothes are you giving me?" she asked, remarking at the growing stack of clothing on the surface of the dresser.

Scarlett set one more set of clothing on the top on the stack. "Just this stack. I don't wear a lot of these clothes as much as I used to, so you can have them," she answered, placing her hands on her hips as she admired the pile of clothes she had created.

"Are you sure that we wear the same size?" Midnight's Shadow inquired. Her voice clearly showed that she wasn't entirely sure if she was.

Scarlett tore her gaze away from the stack of clothes to the look at the dark haired woman. Her blue eyes looked her up and down, as if trying to measure her by sight. Finally, she shrugged. "I think we are. But if not, I can get a belt or something. Sorry. We'll get you some clothes when we can. For now, though, you're going to have to deal with wearing hand-me-downs," she answered.

"Oh, joy," responded Midnight's Shadow dryly.

The red head laugh lightly. "Come on. You grab half and I'll grab the other and we'll take it to your room."

Midnight's Shadow complied and grabbed approximately half of the stack of clothes resting upon the top of Scarlett's dresser. The other woman stepped forward then and grabbed the other half. Together, the two of them walked out of her room, into the hallway, and into Midnight's Shadows' room once more. They walked up to the dresser and set down the two piles upon its top.

"There," Scarlett said with no small degree of satisfaction. "Now you have clothes. You can put them away later." Her blue eyes shifted to find Midnight's Shadows' own. "Why don't you go take a shower and get ready. Then I'll take you to get something to eat. Sound good?"

The dark haired woman nodded. She couldn't deny that she was hungry.

"Alright. I'll be in my room. Come get me when you're done." With that, she turned on her heel and strode from the room.

* * *

Midnight's Shadow stepped out of the shower. She grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around her damp body. Carefully stepping off of the slippery surface, the dark haired woman exited the shower and walked over to the sink and mirror. Reaching up her hand she wiped away the steam that had accumulated on the surface of the mirror, revealing Midnight's Shadows' face.

She had to say, she could look better. Faint scars, bruises, and scratches laced her pale skin. Midnight's Shadow reached up a hand and pulled back her wet hair, allowing her to better see her face. More than one red scratch marred the skin of her face-more than likely received from the shattering glass of the vehicles on the night of her rescue by GI Joe.

She let her hand fall back to her side, albeit gently. She had to be very careful during her shower due to the fact that she didn't want to get the bandages around her wrists wet. In the end, she failed and water began to seep through the bandages and aggravate her healing wounds. Midnight's Shadow had to grit her teeth to keep from crying out. The pain was so intense that it seemed to flare up her arm in a white hot flame. Even after she exited the shower, the pain was still there. But at least it wasn't as intense as it had been in the shower. Midnight's Shadow didn't think it wise to remove the bandages. Wet or not, they were still protecting her wrists. So, she would let the bandages dry and not remove them, even if that means gritting her teeth anytime the bandage moves against the top of the openings.

Tearing herself away from staring at her appearance in the mirror, Midnight's Shadow went about getting herself ready. Scarlett had left some of her belongings in the bathroom for her to use. Or maybe they were still in here because she didn't need to move them. It wasn't as if there were any other women on the Alpha Team that shared this bathroom. She had it all to herself. Or, at least, until now.

Midnight's Shadow grabbed the hair dryer left by Scarlett on the counter. Plugging in the cord to the outlet, she flipped the switch and began to dry her hair. She ran her fingers through her damp hair as the warm air blew through it. After a few long minutes of drying, Midnight's Shadow turned off the hair dryer. Grabbing a brush, she quickly ran it through her unruly black locks, determined to untangle the knots that had formed. When she had finished, she used the hair tie around her wrist and drew her hair up into a pony tail.

Next, the dark haired woman moved on to getting herself dressed. Unwrapping the towel, she used it to once more dry off her body, soaking up any residual droplets. When she had finished, she simply placed it onto a nearby rack. Midnight's Shadows' blue eyes shifted back to the counter where the new outfit comprised of Scarlett's old clothes sat. She had chosen a pair of jeans, a short sleeved maroon v-neck t-shirt, and a new pair of socks. Her sun and moon necklace sat on top of the small pile. Since she didn't have any other shoes to wear, Midnight's Shadows' black boots sat on the ground, waiting to be put on. She reached down and grabbed the first article of clothing and began to dress herself.

Within the next few minutes, Midnight's Shadow was completely dressed. She looked at herself in the mirror. Reaching up her hands, she tugged down on the hem of her shirt, trying to rid it of any wrinkles. Her attention switching to her hair, she also tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. Deeming herself appropriate to be seen in public, Midnight's Shadow bent down, scooped up her discarded clothing, and walked out of the bathroom, the door shutting behind her. She proceeded down the hall to her own room and went through the threshold.

She paused as she walked through the doorway. Where was she supposed to put her dirty clothes? It wasn't as if there was a hamper or anything. She glanced around the room briefly before she took a few steps forward and simply tossed her clothes into a heap on the other side of her dresser. Deciding that was good enough, Midnight's Shadow turned and headed out her door. Taking a right, she only had to take a few steps until she stood before Scarlett's room. Raising her hand and balling it into a fist, she knocked twice on the hard surface.

"Come in!" came the response.

Midnight's Shadow gripped the handle, letting the door swing inward. Scarlett was already rising from her seat on her bed, setting a book she had been reading onto the nightstand. She leaned down and began to slip her combat boots back onto her feet. "You clean up good," she observed as she laced up her boots.

The dark haired woman shrugged. "I think I might look better if I wasn't so beat up," she replied.

Scarlett laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it. You'll heal. Besides, you look better than you did," the red head told her. Finishing with her boots, the other woman rose off the edge of her bed to her full height. "Ready?" she asked. Midnight's Shadow nodded. "Then let's go."

* * *

The two women walked side by side down the hall, Scarlett guiding them to the cafeteria. They talked-or more like Midnight's Shadow listened while Scarlett talked. She told her about all the things that she could do to occupy her time in the Pit. Midnight's Shadow half-listened. She was more focused on trying to remember the way to the cafeteria so that she didn't need to get directions from someone anytime she wanted to get something to eat.

As they walked, though, the dark haired woman found a question coming into the forefront of her mind. She looked sideways at her red haired companion. "Have you seen Breaker today?" she asked.

Scarlett nodded. "Yep." She looked over at her. "Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if his scan thingy had found anything yet," she answered.

The other woman frowned. "No, not yet. Don't worry. It usually takes a while. There are a lot of faces in the world to go through. We'll find you eventually," she assured her with a small smile.

"I hope so," was all Midnight's Shadow said in response.

"So, are you going to ask Snake Eyes for help with your fighting instinct today?" Scarlett asked.

The dark haired woman shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Why not?"

"Well, I've been thinking about it. If Snake Eyes helps me somehow, and I am able to prevent myself from harming or killing anyone, what if I lose the ability to fight? Like I have already said, it's instinctual. If Snake Eyes helps me, there is a chance that I would lose it and I would be left defenseless if those terrorists ever found me again," Midnight's Shadow said with no small degree of worry and trepidation in her voice.

Scarlett nodded her understanding. "I get what you're saying, but Shadow. If you don't get help you could hurt someone, maybe even kill them, without meaning to. You've said so yourself."

Midnight's Shadow's lips pursed into a thin line. Her blue eyes focused on the path ahead. "I know I did. I just don't want to have to depend solely on you guys for protection. I mean, you guys aren't going to be here all the time. I want to be able to defend myself."

"I understand, but just talk to Snake first. Who knows? Maybe he knows how to help you without you losing your ability to fight," Scarlett said.

Midnight's Shadows' blue eyes looked downward. "I don't know…"

"Of course you don't." Midnight's Shadow looked up at the red head. "That's why you need to ask him," she finished, a light smile playing on her lips.

"Sure," Midnight's Shadow replied with a roll of her blue eyes. "Whatever you say."

* * *

Scarlett and Midnight's Shadow sat across from each other on one of the long tables in the cafeteria. They had just finished eating an early lunch, their trays and trash already taken care of. It was just after eleven and the cafeteria was slowly beginning to fill with hungry Joes.

Scarlett took a sip of her half empty water bottle before setting it back down onto the table, screwing the cap back on with her pale fingers. Her blue eyes flicked back up to Midnight's Shadows' own as she continued in their conversation. "I mean, you must be like a ninja or something. I have never seen some of the moves you did. Not even from Snake Eyes," Scarlett said in awe, referring to the other woman's fight with a certain black clad ninja the previous day. "I really should ask Snake if he thinks you're a ninja. You seem to have a ninja-esque quality about you," she added thoughtfully.

The dark haired woman uttered a scoffing laugh. "Ninja-esque? You're making up words now?"

"Hey, I'm a genius. I can make up a word if I want," Scarlett grinned.

Midnight's Shadow held up her hands in a calming gesture. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said that you were a genius. I asked you if you were a genius. It's not the same thing."

The red head crossed her arms over her chest, letting her elbows rest on the table. "Well, I chose to believe that it is the same thing."

Midnight's Shadow sighed and rolled her eyes. "Forget it then. Believe whatever you want."

Scarlett's eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she regarded the young woman before her. "You know what I have noticed about you, Shadow?" The dark haired woman returned her gaze to Scarlett. "You don't anger easily. You get irritated and annoyed, but never angry. I find that to be an interesting trait about you."

"I'm glad that you find me so interesting," Midnight's Shadow commented dryly, taking a sip of her own water.

"I'm not the only one," Scarlett said. The young woman was about to ask her what she meant by that but stopped as the red head raised her blue eyes, locking on something. "Hey, Snake," she said.

Midnight's Shadow felt her heart jolt in surprise. She looked up just in time to see the black clad ninja walk up to Scarlett and take a seat next to her. The masked face shifted to her face. Midnight's Shadow froze, that uncomfortable feeling welling up inside her underneath that gaze. She felt an anxiety to know what he was thinking as he looked at her. But there was no way to tell. No facial cues. No body language. Her mind briefly drifted back to when Scarlett said you could sense what he wants to say if you get to know him a little better. But there was no way that she could tell with him. It was like trying to tell what a statue-or perhaps even a snake-was thinking. She mentally shook her head. Snake Eyes was an enigma wrapped up in a mystery.

Then, the intense gaze of the ninja turned away from Midnight's Shadow as Scarlett began to talk to him. As soon as he looked away, she released the breath that she hadn't even realized she had been holding-albeit discreetly. Her brow furrowed. She felt like she had a headache. Reaching up a hand, Midnight's Shadow began to massage her forehead and temple with her fingers. Why did she have a headache?

She began to reach her hand towards her water bottle, but her wrist was suddenly seized by a black gloved hand. Midnight's Shadow visible jumped, her heart jolting at the sudden gesture. Her blue eyes snapped up to look at Snake Eyes, who now held her wrist. What was he doing? Careful to avoid putting pressure on her healing wrists, but still holding her firm nonetheless, the ninja drew her hand towards him palm up. His visor tilted downward as he examined her hand, apparently seeing something that she did not. Her blue eyes flicked rapidly from Snake Eyes to her hand, trying to understand what he was doing. He raised his other hand, drawing his fingers, along her palm, and up to her fingers where he stopped. He held her fingers, tilting them so that he could see them better.

Snake Eyes turned his attention from Midnight's Shadow's hand to look at Scarlett, who seemed to be just as confused as she was. He pointed at the dark haired woman's fingertips. Scarlett's eyes narrowed, scooting closer to better see what the black ninja was indicated. "The hell?" she breathed. She reached out her own hand, gripping Midnight's Shadow's fingers and angling them so that she could see them better.

"What?" the dark haired woman asked, her voice wavering slightly with worry. "What is it?"

"Your fingertips," Scarlett said, not taking her eyes from her hand.

"What about them?"

The red head's blue eyes shifted to look up her, surprise on her features. "You have no fingerprints."

Midnight's Shadow's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked. She leaned forward, trying to better see her own fingertips.

Scarlett's gaze returned downward. "The bottom of your finger should be slightly rough from the ridges of your fingerprint. But," she ran a pale fingertip over the pad of her finger, "it's smooth. I've heard about this with criminals who don't want to leave behind fingerprints so they burn them off."

"So are you saying that I was a criminal?" Midnight's Shadow asked.

Scarlett's frown deepened. She glanced to her side. "Snake?"

The black clad ninja kept his gaze directed downward. He shook his head, probably meaning that he didn't know.

Midnight's Shadow felt herself droop, the momentary happiness she had obtained from the prospect of a new life with the Joes being driven away. She was a criminal? From what she knew of herself, it rather seemed to fit the bill. She could fight and kill people easily. She was skilled with a gun. And now it was determined that she had no fingerprints? It was clearly the mark of someone who did not want to be found. She caught herself. Perhaps she had burned her prints away so that the terrorists that seemed to developed such an interest in her couldn't find her. But that theory only brought her mind to other questions that had been nagging at her since the beginning. Why were terrorists after her? Who was she before she lost her memory? Why had she lost her memory? Who were these terrorists?

"Shadow," Scarlett said gently, drawing her out of her reverie. "This doesn't mean that you were a criminal."

"But it doesn't mean that I'm not."

The red head nodded. "True, but we'll just have to wait and see what Breaker's scan eventually finds."

* * *

A/N: Hooray! Another chapter done! I had to come into town today anyways, so since I had this chapter already done I decided to post it. I hope to have at least one done for Friday. And thank you for all the people reviewing. I'm really glad that you all like it so much! I particularly like hearing your theories on what Midnight's Shadow's past is. It's very entertaining and I would like to tell you this: none of you have guessed it yet. So, please keep guessing. It makes me laugh and actually makes me want to write more and faster to get to the eventual reveal of what her past really is. Luckily for you, I plan on starting the slow reveal of her past within the next two chapters. :)

Once again, thank you for all the reviews! Keep them coming! And welcome to all the new followers and favorites!


	17. Getting to Know You

Midnight's Shadow sat upon one of the spare crates that littered the massive training area in the Pit. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her elbows resting on her knees as she leaned forward, her blue eyes watching two soldiers spar before her. But her attention was only half focused on them. The other half was riveted upon a certain black clad ninja sitting on the other side of the sparring soldiers.

The dark haired woman risked a quick glance in his direction. Snake Eyes seemed to be watching the fight similar to her. Perhaps he was watching them with scrutiny, observing how weak they were compared to him. Midnight's Shadow wondered if he helped other soldiers improve their fighting skill-for that, was why she was sitting here.

Her blue eyes shifted back to the two soldiers at hand. She had been sitting in this exact spot for the past twenty minutes, trying to work up the nerve to go over and talk to him-asking him for help with dulling her killing instinct. But yet, she couldn't seem to make herself do it. Something about him just felt so intimidating. She wasn't quite sure what it was. The mask? The katana strapped across his back? His skill at hand to hand combat? Or maybe it was just the simple fact that she wasn't good at meeting and talking to new people?

Midnight's Shadow shook her head. She was a stranger to herself. Losing her memory has made it so that she had to get to know herself all over again. But, like Heavy Duty had told her, the loss of her memory could prove to be a second chance for her. The dark haired woman scoffed and shook her head once more, a light smile playing on her lips. She had never taken Heavy to be the deep, inspirational speech type.

Her blue eyes shifted once more to look at Snake Eyes. Her mind grappled with something to say to him, trying to gather the courage needed. It seemed to be taking a long time, though, and she wasn't sure how long Snake Eyes stayed in the training area. If he left, she'd have to start this process all over tomorrow. Then again, if she put it off until tomorrow, she might be able to think of a way to talk to him. She mentally shook her head. No. She couldn't afford to put this off-even for a day.

Midnight's Shadow jumped as she felt the sudden pressure of a hand squeezing her shoulder. Her head quickly turned, searching for the source. She found it in the form of the same officer who had supervised the fight between her and Snake Eyes the other day.

A friendly smile was on the other's face. A gestured to the open seat beside her on the crate. "May I?" he asked politely.

"Go ahead," the young woman responded, gesturing for him to take a seat. Midnight's Shadow scooted a little to the side in order to give him more room.

"Thank you." The man came around the crate. Bending his knees, he took a seat. A contented sigh escaped his lips as he let his arms rest loosely on his legs. His blue eyes watched the sparring soldiers for a moment before shifting to the woman beside him, who kept her gaze directed forward. "Midnight's Shadow, right?" She nodded without turning. He brought up one hand and extended it towards her, wanting her to shake it. "We haven't been properly introduced. Sergeant Stone."

Midnight's Shadow looked sideways at him. Her blue eyes flicked from his face, to the extended hand, before returning to his face once more. Uncrossing her arms and straightening in her seat, Midnight's Shadow extended her own hand. Gripping his own hand, the dark haired woman shook it firmly. "A pleasure."

The sergeant released his grip on her hand, retracting it. Midnight's Shadow did the same. His blue eyes glanced over in the direction of the sparring soldiers for a brief moment before returning to her. "That was an impressive fight yesterday. It was one of the best ones that I've seen. You made Snake Eyes actually have to work to defend his title as GI Joe's best hand to hand fighter."

Midnight's Shadow scoffed. "Yeah, well, it came at a cost," she responded dryly.

Stone laughed. "Gave you a few bruises did he?" She nodded in response. He once again looked over to the two sparring soldiers. "Don't worry about it. They'll be gone in no time at all." He looked back at her. "So," he nodded sideways, in the direction of Snake Eyes, "are you sitting here trying to work up the nerve to talk to him?"

The dark haired woman let out a breathy laugh. "That obvious, is it?"

Sergeant Stone shrugged. "I've seen it before with other new Joes. The guy's kind of intimidating. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't speak sort of restricts your conversation."

"Scarlett told me that once you get to know him, you can sort of feel or sense what he means or wants to say."

The man nodded. "That's true."

Midnight's Shadow directed her gaze forward, looking past the soldiers to the black clad ninja. "But, I obviously don't know him. Then how do I get to that point? I can't 'feel' what he wants to say. So, how do I get to know him, when I don't even know how to talk to him?"

Sergeant Stone leaned in close to her. "Well, I'm going to let you in on something that isn't really a secret." Midnight's Shadow looked back at him, her interest piqued. "Snake may not be able to talk, **but** he can still nod yes or no."

With a jolt, an idea struck the dark haired woman like a bolt of lightning. A grateful smile spread across her face. "Thanks. I think I just got an idea," she told him.

Stone returned her smile. "Good. Now go and put it to use." He reached his hand behind her, pressed it against her back, and roughly shoved her to her feet.

Midnight's Shadow stumbled a few faces forward before straightening up. She threw an irritated look over her soldier at the man. She was reminded all too well of how Scarlett had similarly shoved her through the crowd the other day, initiating her spar with Snake Eyes. Now, Stone felt the need to shove her towards the black ninja once more when she was just going to talk to him. Why did everyone feel the need to literally push her towards him? But, when her eyes swung around to look at the sergeant, he was already rising from his seat with his back turned as he began to head back the way he originally came. So, with her attempted glare failed, Midnight's Shadow turned back around. She instantly felt her gaze lock upon the dark ninja sitting a little ways away.

Taking a deep breath to calm her growing anxiety, Midnight's Shadow steeled herself and began to walk around the sparring mat to where Snake Eyes sat. As she walked, the dark haired woman looked to her side, keeping her gaze focused upon the two soldiers that were continuing to spar, as if she was riveted with the match. She was sure that Snake Eyes knew she was coming towards him. What she didn't know was whether or not he was looking at her yet.

Tearing her gaze away from the soldiers, Midnight's Shadow risked a quick glance in the direction of the black ninja. Snake Eyes didn't seem to notice her quite yet, for his gaze was still directed at the match before him. She spoke too soon. Just as she finished that thought, Snake Eyes turned his head in her direction, the visor of his mask pointed straight at her.

Midnight's Shadow's breath caught in her throat. Well, there was no turning back now. She walked straight up to the masked man, taking a seat beside him on a spare crate. Snake Eyes' gaze remained riveted on her as he watched her take her seat. Midnight's Shadow adjusted awkwardly in her seat, angling herself so that she faced him, her blue eyes locked upon his face-or rather, his mask.

She took a deep breath, trying to release some of the captive anxiety and growing uncomfortable feeling welling up inside her. It didn't help. "Okay," she began, "now that I'm technically a part of GI Joe, and the Alpha Team, I expect that we are going to be seeing a lot more of each other for the foreseeable future. Due to that, both Scarlett and Heavy Duty have been suggesting that I get to know everyone on the team, which includes you. But, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't entirely sure how to do it. I mean, as if you haven't noticed, you're not the chattiest person I've ever met. But, I think I have discovered a way to get to know you that can get around that obstacle."

Snake Eyes shifted in his seat upon the great, angling himself that he faced her more directly, his intense gaze still locked on her face. That was a good sign, right? That appeared to mean that he was interested.

"Alright. Well, even though you can't talk, you can still answer 'yes' or 'no' questions. So, I will ask you questions and then all you will have to do is answer yes or no. Sound good?"

The black clad ninja nodded in agreement. Instantly, a portion of the anxiety within Midnight's Shadow vanished. She didn't know what she would have done if he had "said" no.

She cleared her throat, a little more energetic now that she knew Snake Eyes was willing to let her attempt to get to know him. "Okay. Let's start with an easy one." A mischievous smile played upon her lips. "Are you a ninja?"

Midnight's Shadow almost laughed at his response. Snake Eyes' shoulders slumped forward as his head tilted to the side. From what she could guess, it was almost like he was saying "are you serious?" After a brief moment of staring at her with what she discerned to be disbelief, he slowly nodded his head yes.

Her smile widened. She had just been able to tell what he wanted to say-sort of. Then again, his movements were rather exaggerated. Maybe he had done it for her benefit so that she could tell what he wanted to say. But yet, at the same time, that sort of reaction dictated exaggerated movements. Midnight's Shadow mentally shook her head. She needed to stop over analyzing everything. For now, she could be happy that she was getting to know Snake Eyes-not to mention the fact that she had successfully read his body movements, meaning that there was hope for her yet to eventually be able to 'feel' what he wants to say like Scarlett said she would.

"Okay, good. That's the answer I was looking for," she answered. "Now…" Midnight's Shadow paused as she thought of another question. "Ninja's are from Japan, right?"

Snake Eyes nodded. Yes.

Midnight's Shadow paused for the briefest moment. She knew where ninja's originated from? Was that a sign that her memory was returning or was it just a fact that was sitting in her head this entire time and had never been forgotten in the first place? She mentally shook her head once again. She really needed to stop getting side tracked by every little thing.

"Alright. So does that mean that you were born in Japan?" she inquired.

The black clad ninja shook his head. No.

Not born in Japan? "Did you grow up there, though?" she asked, making the question more specific.

Snake Eyes nodded. Yes.

Okay. So he grew up in Japan-probably being raised as a ninja or some such. They did that right? Lifelong training and all. With how skilled Snake Eyes was, she wouldn't be surprised if he had been training his entire life to achieve the level he was at now.

"Okay," Midnight's Shadow began, "you became a ninja in Japan, then?"

Once again, Snake Eyes nodded. Yes.

"So then, you learned how to fight there?"

The masked man visibly hesitated. He raised his hand and tilted it from side to side before letting it fall back into his lap.

Sort of? Was that what that meant? "You knew how to fight before you got there…?" she asked, venturing a guess.

She saw Snake Eyes straighten in his seat slightly. A sign of surprise. Perhaps he hadn't thought she would guess it. He nodded. Yes.

"Oh!" she breathed slowly. "So, you knew how to fight before Japan. But once you started training to become a ninja, your fighting skill improved?"

Once again, he nodded in agreement.

"I get it now," she said with a smile, pleased that she was able to guess it. "Alright. Next question. Do you have any family?"

Midnight's Shadow thought she saw Snake Eyes hesitate. But it happened so fast that she thought she imagined it, perhaps reading into every movement more than she should. Slowly, he shook his head. No.

The dark haired woman winced. No family. Why did she have to ask that question when that was a possible outcome? It was stupid move. Still continuing to mentally kick herself, Midnight's Shadow decided to quickly move on. "Okay. What about GI Joe? Have you been with them for long?"

Yes.

"More than five years?"

No.

"Exactly five years?"

No.

"Four years?"

Yes.

"Okay then. Four years," Midnight's Shadow repeated. "Have you been with Alpha Team for that entire time?" she asked, already believing she knew the answer.

As expected, Snake Eyes nodded. Yes.

"Alright then. Let's move onto another topic." A light smile appeared on Midnight's Shadow's face. "What's your favorite color?"

Snake Eyes visibly paused. He cocked his head to the side as he looked at her. She saw him briefly glance in the direction of the two soldiers who were still busy sparring before returning his gaze to her. Finally, he simply shrugged.

"You don't know?" she asked, trying to make sure that she was discerning his response correctly.

The black clad ninja nodded in agreement.

"Oh, come on. Everyone has a favorite color," she told him.

Once again, the dark ninja shrugged. He raised his hand and gestured to Midnight's Shadow.

The dark haired raised her own hand, pointing to herself. "Do I have a favorite color?"

Snake Eyes nodded.

It was her turn to shrug. "I don't know. I've never thought about it. I've been so focused on what type of person I was before I lost my memory that I haven't been entirely focused on the little things about myself. Things like my favorite color. So, for now, I have no idea what my favorite color is," she answered honestly. She nervously tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear. Her blue eyes shifted downward, to her hands clasped in her lap. "Part of the reason I came over here was to ask if you could help me with something." Midnight's Shadow looked back up into the masked face of Snake Eyes. "I was hoping that you could help me with my fighting skills. I mean, I know how to fight and defend myself, but there is some sort of defensive, killer instinct that kicks in. I…I hurt and even kill people. Sometimes people I don't mean any harm to." Her thoughts briefly strayed to Breaker. "I was hoping that you could help me….well, control it. I can't seem to stop it on my own. So, will you help me?"

Snake Eyes looked at her for a long few moments. It was as if he was trying to gauge something, but Midnight's Shadow wasn't entirely sure what. She held her breath as she awaited his answer. Finally, it came. Yes.

Instantly, a grateful smile spread across her face. "Thank you," she breathed, releasing her captive breath. "You have no idea how much it means to hear that you will help me." She paused, her brows furrowing. "You can help me, can't you?"

The masked man seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. Yes.

"Good," she responded rather quietly. Her gaze looked downward, to her hands clasped in her lap. She found herself running her fingers over the smooth pads of the fingers on her other hand, the place where a fingerprint should have been. After a moment of silence, Midnight's Shadow found herself asking, "Snake, do you think that I was a criminal before I lost my memory?" She looked at him sideways for his answer.

Without even a hint of hesitation, Snake Eyes shook his head no. So firm was the gesture that Midnight's Shadow was momentarily taken aback. He seemed so sure that she wasn't.

"You seem so sure," she said, voicing her thought.

Snake Eyes nodded, using the same firmness that he had before.

Midnight's Shadow looked back to her hands, her blue eyes downcast and her expression doubtful. "But look at the facts. I don't have fingerprints, which Scarlett said criminals use when they don't want to be found. I can fight and kill people with ease. I even know how to use a gun. And you are still so sure that I am not a criminal?"

Instantly, Snake Eyes nodded confidently.

Midnight's Shadow let out a scoffing laugh. "I'm glad one of us is so sure," she replied dryly.

She turned her blue gaze directly ahead, choosing to focus on the sparring soldiers on the mat in front of her. She found herself realizing that she no longer felt anxiety or awkward when she was around or attempting to interact with Snake Eyes. It had all simply vanished. Midnight's Shadow actually felt strangely at ease in his presence. She briefly glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes before looking back to the match. She had her first conversation with him. It wasn't awkward or strained as she had thought it would be. It was actually very nice and easy. It was almost like a normal conversation. And, as she thought back to how sure Snake Eyes had been that she wasn't a criminal, Midnight's Shadow couldn't help wonder if she had just found herself a new friend and ally.

* * *

A/N: Yay! First conversation between Midnight's Shadow and Snake Eyes. Hope you all liked it. Sorry about not posting on Friday like I said I would. Actually ended up getting called into work both Thursday and Friday. So, I was understandably tired and sore-sore to the point where it feels like I have arthritis. Not fun. So, as you can guess, I wasn't in the mood to write. But I quickly wrote this chapter today and posted it as an apology! Hope it makes up for it!

Please continue to give me reviews!


	18. I Spy

Snake Eyes and Midnight's Shadow stood side by side in the training area of the Pit. The black ninja leaned casually against a nearby wall while Midnight's Shadow simply stood with her arms crossed over her chest.

It had been a week and a half since Midnight's Shadow had been brought to the Pit, and already Snake Eyes had seen a noticeable change in her demeanor. At first, she had been rather quiet, withdrawn-perhaps even a little on edge. She preferred to stay within the confines of her room and wouldn't leave unless she was in the company of someone on the Alpha Team. He supposed it made sense. She didn't know anyone else and wasn't entirely sure of herself yet. But, as time passed, Snake Eyes saw her become noticeably more relaxed. Midnight's Shadow began to venture beyond her room and explore the Pit more openly. She talked and joked around with other soldiers that she met. It was a new look for her. When she had first come, she had been rather stoic and not too quick to offer a smile. Now, though, she laughed and smiled in such a way that it was contagious. It was like she was happy.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was no longer so on edge about her past. She seemed to release her white knuckle grip on the questions filling her mind, finally feeling content to simply wait for what Breaker's infinity scan would eventually reveal.

So far, Midnight's Shadow hadn't remembered a single thing from her past, but it didn't seem to bother her as much as it used to. Still, that didn't stop the others from trying to help her remember. Scarlett would offer her iPod, suggesting that maybe she would recognize one of the songs. She also aided her in finally getting some clothes of her very own from the requisitions officer, along with an iPod so that she didn't have to keep borrowing Scarlett's. Midnight's Shadow was often seen with the buds in her ears as she listened to an assortment of music, usually when she was in one of the training rooms. Heavy Duty would try to help as best he could. He would teach her about current events and important figures in society that she should know about. The British man also made a point to share movies, TV shows, and games with her-including the assortment of board games sitting on the shelf beneath the TV. From the few times Snake Eyes had watched them, Midnight's Shadow beat Heavy Duty every time in chess. Breaker on the other hand was already playing his role in helping her to regain her memory by running the infinity scan.

Snake Eyes had thought a lot about it recently. They had used an infinity scan to track people down before and it hadn't taken more than a few days. Why was it taking so long to find Midnight's Shadow? Snake Eyes shook himself out of this momentary side thought.

And then there was him. For the past week and a half since she had first asked, Snake Eyes had been helping Midnight's Shadow to overcome her murderous instinct. It wasn't easy. They sparred every day for hours on end. Throughout those hours, the black clad ninja would continue to pummel her with attacks, trying to get her to be more conscious of her own movements. He had seen it when they had first fought the day of her exam. It was like her eyes would glaze over, becoming unfocused. It was as if her mind was taking a backseat as her body took over. For the past week, Midnight's Shadow had been fighting through that.

Snake Eyes couldn't deny that her skill was impressive. She had speed, precision, tenacity, and stamina. Through their hours of training, every time Snake Eyes would knock her down, she would get back up. Even when she looked ready to collapse from exhaustion, she would keep going. Every day, Snake Eyes would have to be the one to stop the fight, otherwise he wasn't sure if she would ever stop.

The dark ninja looked at the woman to his right from the corner of his visor. Midnight's Shadow stood beside him, her bright blue eyes looking out over the shifting crowds of soldiers as they made their way from station to station.

To be perfectly honest, he liked her. The two of them had become friends over the past week and a half and spent much of their time together. Whether it was sparring in the training room or out in the rest of the Pit, playing the next strange game Midnight's Shadow had come up with for them to be able to talk and joke around with each other. Snake Eyes couldn't deny that he was impressed with her. Normally, the new Joes were rather intimidated by him, not knowing quite how to talk with a mute. But she continued to find new ways around that. To the point where she was slowly getting to know him better than anyone else in GI Joe.

"Alright. I got one," Midnight's Shadow spoke up.

Snapping out of his reverie, Snake Eyes turned his head to look at her, letting her know that he was listening.

"I spy with my little eye something…green," she said. Her head swiveled in his direction, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Okay, ninja. Guess."

Snake Eyes looked back out over the area before him, searching for the color green. The main source of green that he could see was from the camouflage on the soldier's uniforms. It probably wasn't it since it was so obvious, but it's best to start somewhere. His masked face turned back to Midnight's Shadow who looked back at him, curious to see if he could guess it. He raised a gloved hand and pointed at the soldiers, Midnight's Shadow following his finger. He drew his hand back, the dark haired woman still watching, and pointed to his suit.

"The camo on the uniforms?" she asked.

Snake Eyes nodded. She always had to say aloud what she thought he was guessing, just to ensure that she had interpreted it correctly.

She shook her head, her long black ponytail swinging from side to side. "Nope. Guess again," she smirked.

The black clad ninja once again turned his head to look out over the training area, searching for another source of green. And he instantly found it. A smile tugged the corner of his mouth up into smile. He raised his hand and pointed to a particular soldier, separate from the rest, who was busying himself with working on one of the vehicles with his back to them. He then retracted his hand, Midnight's Shadow's blue eyes still watching him, and pointed to his back. Snake Eyes set his hand back down in his lap, looking to her to see if he had guessed correctly.

Immediately, a grin appeared on her face. Midnight's Shadow let out a light laugh. "Yup. That's it. I just saw it a minute ago. Poor guy," she smiled.

Snake Eyes glanced over to the soldier, perhaps a mechanic. Plastered onto his back was a green post-it-note that had writing in bold letters saying "kick me." The ninja wondered how long he had been walking around with it on his back. He also couldn't help but wonder if anyone had actually kicked him yet.

"Alright, Snake. It's your turn. Give me a good one," Midnight's Shadow said to him.

Snake Eyes nodded. His eyes scanned the crowds, searching for something that would give her a challenge. After a brief moment, he saw it. He looked back to Midnight's Shadow. Bringing up a hand, he pointed to the red tattoo on the side of his arm.

"Something red?"

Snake Eyes nodded his confirmation.

"Okay then," she sighed, her gaze moving outward towards the rest of the training area. "So Snake Eyes spies with his little eye something red…" She was silent for a long moment, her eyes scanning everything within sight. "Is it…the fire extinguisher?"

The black ninja shook his head.

"Okay…what about the red lights over in urban combat center?"

Once again, he shook his head.

"The belts on those crates over there?"

No.

"The container over in the corner?"

No.

"Oh, you've got be kidding! Those are the only red things in this entire room!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, guys," said a feminine voice.

Both Midnight's Shadow and Snake Eyes looked up just in time to see Scarlett walk up to them. Instantly, it clicked with the dark haired woman's mind. She whirled on Snake Eyes. "You jerk! It was Scarlett, wasn't it?"

Snake Eyes shrugged, feigning innocence.

The red head's blue eyes shifted between the two of them. "Trouble?" she asked, confusion on her face.

Midnight's Shadow let out a short sigh. She cast one last glare at the black ninja before turning to look a Scarlett. Instantly, the scowl on her face was replaced with a smile. "Oh, nothing. So, what's going on?" she asked.

Scarlett cast one last look between the two of them before her gaze landed on Midnight's Shadow and stayed there. Her expression was somber. "Breaker told me to go and find you. He wants us to meet him in the rec room."

The dark haired woman's brows furrowed in confusion, her head cocking slightly to the side. "Did he say why?"

The red head nodded. "The infinity scan is finished."

* * *

Heavy Duty, Midnight's Shadow, Scarlett, Breaker, and Snake Eyes all gathered in the rec room. All of them took a seat on the couch while Breaker stood before them. His computer rested upon the coffee table. Snake Eyes cast a look to his left, where Midnight's Shadow sat. Her blue eyes were riveted upon the Moroccan. The black clad ninja could both see and feel the tension in her body. She was clearly apprehensive about the reveal of her past.

"So? Are you going to tell us what you found or just hold us in suspense?" Heavy Duty asked roughly, clearly getting impatient.

Breaker clasped his hands together, looking rather nervous for some reason. His brown eyes locked on the face of Midnight's Shadow. "Well, as you all know I've been running the infinity scan to find Shadow. I just finished today."

The dark haired woman leaned forward in her seat, letting her elbows rest on her knees. "And? What did you find?"

The Moroccan pursed his lips. "Nothing."

Everyone was silent. They looked at each other in confusion. "Nothing?" Scarlett repeated, voicing the confusion that they all felt. "How is that possible?"

Breaker shrugged. "I have no idea. I've run the scan three times now, just to be sure. Each time, the scan could find no trace of her." His brown gaze briefly flicked over to Midnight's Shadow before looking back to Scarlett. "It's like she doesn't exist."

Suddenly, all eyes shifted to Midnight's Shadow for her reaction. The young woman just sat there, very still. Her blue eyes were cast downward. To Snake Eyes, it looked as if some of the light-the momentary hope she had felt moments before-had faded. She just looked weary.

She rose to her feet. "I'm…I'm going to go to my room," she said, her voice oddly quiet.

"Shadow, are you okay?" Scarlett asked gently.

"I just want to be left alone," was all she said in response. Without looking at any of them, Midnight's Shadow strode from the room.

Snake Eyes watched her leave. He was barely listening as Breaker told them how Hawk wanted them to meet him in the command center. As he watched her walk away, he wondered not for the first time about the mystery surrounding Midnight's Shadow.

* * *

Midnight's Shadow lay upon the top of her bed. Her boots lay discarded on the ground. Ear buds were placed into her ears as she listened to the music from her iPod. Her hand was held in the air, her fingers wrapped around the black string of her necklace. Ever since she had returned to her room, her thoughts had been riveted upon what Breaker had just revealed moments ago.

She didn't exist? Breaker's scan looked over the entire world and found no trace of her? How did something like that even happen? Even Breaker didn't know. What did that mean for her? She had gotten her hopes up. She was so ready to finally learn about her past. But then, it was all taken away. It was her only hope of finally reclaiming her past. And now it was gone. What was she supposed to do now?

Now that she thought about it, she supposed that all she could do was wait and hope that her memory returned with time. Nothing had come back to her in the past week and a half-not even the little things like favorite songs or movies. She was still a stranger to herself.

Her blue eyes continued to look at the sun and the moon charms as they dangled over her, their silver edges glinting in the light. It was then that the song "You are the Moon" by the Hush Sound came on her iPod. Midnight's Shadow found herself pausing as she listened to the words, her eyes locked upon the moon charm of her necklace.

The song drew her thoughts to her name, the one that Storm Shadow had given her not so very long ago. She began to think about her name. Midnight's Shadow. How had she come up with such a name? Then, all at once, it hit her. It wasn't a name. It was a riddle. What is midnight's shadow?

"The moon," she breathed, the sound of her voice breaking the silence of her room. Her eyes locked upon the moon charm of her necklace, one of the few things that she had from her past.

Suddenly, it hit her like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes went wide. She remembered something. She actually remembered something. Her eyes flicked over to the door to her room. She needed to find the others. She needed to find Breaker. He could help her.

She released her grip on the necklace, letting it fall back to her chest. The dark haired woman sat bolt upright in her bed. She pulled the ear buds from her ears, letting them fall to her bed. She picked up her iPod and set it on her nightstand. Then, swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she leaned down and began to hurriedly pull on her boots. When she had finished, she leapt to feet and sprinted out her door and down the hall.

Before, when she was leaving the rec room, the young woman was sure that she heard something about them going to meet General Hawk in the command center. So that was where she was heading. As she sprinted, she did her best to avoid other Joes that were walking down the hall. Still, some of the other soldiers had to jump out of the way in order to avoid a collision. But, she didn't slow down. She felt an excitement welling up inside her. She had remembered something. She past was within her reach once more.

Within mere minutes, Midnight's Shadow arrived at the command center. She stopped just inside the doorway, her heart beat accelerated and her breathing more rapid from the run. The room was filled with computers, each with its own tech attending to it. In the center of the room, standing around a holographic display, was the Alpha Team. Scarlett, Heavy Duty, Breaker, and Snake Eyes all stood gathered before General Hawk who appeared to be briefing them on something. But they stopped, each of their eyes turning in her direction in undisguised surprise.

"Shadow? Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice worried. The red head was probably taking in the wide eyed look on her face.

"I'm fine," she breathed. Her blue eyes shifted to the Moroccan. "Breaker. I need you to look up a name for me," she requested. Midnight's Shadow began to descend the ramp and move over to join the others.

"Sure." Breaker turned and headed over to a nearby computer, taking a seat in the chair. "What is it?"

"Dr. Edward Moon," she told him.

"Does this mean that you have remembered something?" Hawk asked, placing his hands on his hips.

Midnight's Shadow nodded slightly. "I think so."

Everyone moved around the holographic display, watching as Breaker typed in the name and began to sift through information. Midnight's Shadow glanced to her side where Snake Eyes stood beside her. She offered him a nervous sideways smile. The black clad ninja cocked his head slightly to the side as he looked back at her through his visor. Reaching up a gloved hand, he gently clapped her on the shoulder in a confident gesture. Grateful for the gesture, Midnight's Shadow turned her attention forward once more. A moment later, she felt the ninja's hand remove itself from her shoulder.

As she focused her attention forward once more, an image of a man came onto the display. He appeared to be middle aged. His short crop of hair was black with sprinkles of gray. Large rimmed glasses sat on a hook nose. Wrinkles were present at the edges of his green eyes. All in all, he looked rather average. Midnight's Shadow studied every inch of his face, searching for something recognizable.

"Shadow?" The dark haired woman tore her attention away from the picture to look over at Heavy Duty. "Do you know this guy?"

She nodded. "I believe so."

"Who is he?" Breaker asked, probing further.

"I think he's my dad."


	19. All Will Be Revealed

Everything in the command center seemed to momentarily standstill as everyone suddenly stopped to look at her. Midnight's Shadow felt the weight of each gaze upon her, crushing her and causing her to shift on her feet uncomfortably. She did her best to keep her eyes riveted upon the image of the man she believed to be her father before her, pretending that she didn't notice.

Finally, General Hawk was the first one to speak. He turned his head to the Moroccan man. "Breaker. What can you tell us?"

Breaker visibly jerked out of his stare at Midnight's Shadow. Swiveling around in his chair, he turned to look back at the computer. The sound of his fingers typing on the keyboard were oddly loud, filling the room with its sound along with the idle chatter of the other techs and soldiers in the room.

After a moment, Breaker stopped typing and leaned in closer to the computer screen to look at it better, pushing his glasses higher up on his nose. "Okay. Dr. Edward Moon. He is a weapons designer. Owned his own company, Moon Industries. They were a real up and comer over the years, mainly due to the genius of Moon," he told them.

"What do you mean? Wasn't Moon just the owner, a business man?" Heavy Duty asked.

Breaker shook his head. "No. He actually designed and created the weapons himself. He was the lead scientist for his own company."

Scarlett nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's impressive. But what can you tell us about his family? Was he really Shadow's father?" the red head inquired.

Breaker began idly typing something on the keyboard once more, his brown gaze remaining riveted on the screen of the computer. After punching one last key, the Moroccan swiveled around in his chair to look at the holographic display as a picture came on over Dr. Moon's image. The picture seemed to be a family portrait. There were three people in the photo. One was Dr. Moon, dressed finely in a suit and tie, his dark hair neatly combed. On the finger of one of his hands was a gold wedding band. This hand rested gently on the shoulder of a woman, holding her close to him.

She was beautiful in many respects, with long pin straight blond hair that flowed past her shoulders. Her skin was pale and flawless. Dark lashes hung over bright blue eyes. She was dressed in an expensive looking dress, with a pearl necklace around her neck and pearl earrings. On her finger was a stunning diamond wedding ring on a silver band.

Lastly, standing in front of her two parents was a young girl. She had long, black hair like her father and bright blue eyes like her mother. Her skin was pale, also like her mother. She wore a nice blue dress, complimenting her eyes. From the look of her, she appeared to be no older than four in this picture.

"Is that…me?" Midnight's Shadow asked, her voice oddly quiet. Her blue eyes were riveted upon the face of the young girl before her.

Breaker nodded. "Your name is Katherine Aithne Moon. And the other woman is your mother, Lenore Moon," he informed her.

Midnight's Shadow felt an excitement grip her. She had a family. She had a name. Her past was within her reach once more. Her eyes skimmed over the faces of her parents, searching them for some sense of familiarity. But there was nothing. Their faces were plain and held no meaning for her, no emotion. They were strangers to her.

"Are they still around? I mean, where do they even live?" Heavy asked, voicing a question as he crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest.

Once again, Breaker swiveled around in his chair and began to rapidly type on the keyboard. "According to this, Moon Industries is based in London. And….from the looks of it, that's where Shadow-or I guess, Katherine-and her family lived. As for her parents….oh."

Midnight's Shadow felt her stomach drop. "What?" she asked, fearing what the Moroccan would say next.

"When you were about five years old, your mother was killed in a car crash. Your father seemed to snap….He kept going to the police saying that someone was after him and his family in order to gain possession of his company and research but he wouldn't say who. Because of this, the police ruled it as an accident and didn't investigate further. A few months after his wife died, Dr. Moon sold his company to an anonymous buyer, who still owns it to this day. After that, he took his daughter and went off grid. No one seemed to think he was missing, just that he moved away. There appears to be no record or trace of him or Shadow since," Breaker told them. He turned around, once again facing the rest of the Alpha Team.

"No trace? Nowhere?" Midnight's Shadow repeated, her dark brows knitting together in confusion.

Breaker shook his head, glancing over his shoulder at the computer screen for a moment before looking back to her. "Not that I can see. I mean, if I had more time, there is a possibility that I could find where your father went, but we've already run the infinity scan for you. And we all know what that turned up."

"Alright, so essentially what you're saying is that from the time that Shadow was five 'till now there is absolutely no trace of her," Hawk said, clarifying.

The Moroccan nodded. "That is exactly what I am saying."

"So," all eyes shifted to look at Scarlett. "Something must have happened during that time. Something that would make these terrorists want to go after her. Is there a chance that they were after her father too?" she inquired.

"Probably. The guy was a weapons designer and lead scientist at for his own advanced technologies business. Could be that he made something that the terrorists wanted to get their hands on and were going after his family to get it," Heavy Duty theorized.

"But what would that something be?" Midnight's Shadow asked, her blue eyes searching each of their faces. Their eyes were downcast, their expressions uncertain. She felt a growing dread within her. Had they reached a dead end?

Heavy Duty shrugged. "I don't know. But I think that we need to find out. And the best place to start would be at your old home in London. Maybe there are some clues there," the British man suggested.

"But it's been so many years now. Wouldn't their home been sold and have someone else living in it by now?" Scarlett asked.

Like he had done many times already, Breaker turned around to face the computer. His fingers began to immediately fly over the keys as he began to search for information once again. Within minutes, Breaker found the answer to Scarlett's question. Without turning around, he began to shake his head slowly. "It doesn't look like it…..Actually, it looks like Dr. Moon still owns the property. Someone is still paying for it," he said, his tone perplexed.

"Who the hell would continue to pay for a home that doesn't have anyone living in it? Is Dr. Moon the one still paying for it?" Heavy Duty inquired.

"I don't know. All I know is that all the expenses are still being paid for. Her home should be exactly the way that she left it when she left when she was only five years old," the Moroccan said.

Midnight's Shadow shook her head. "I don't like this. Even if my…my dad was continuing to pay for our old home, why would he do something like that? I mean, didn't he take me and move to get away from everything that was happening. Why would he continue to pay for an old home that we were more than likely never going to return to?"

"You think that the terrorists are behind this?" Scarlett asked, clarifying as she cocked a slender eyebrow.

The dark haired woman shrugged. "I don't know for sure. I just a feeling that I have. I mean, we already have the theory that my father designed something that they wanted to get their hands on. What if they thought there were some clues left in our home that could lead them to it? Or maybe it's actually hidden there. Who really knows?"

"From the way you're talking, this could be a trap," Hawk observed, leaning forward with his hands braced on the sides of the holographic display. "They could upkeep your old home and wait for either you or your father to return and lead them right to what they are searching for."

Midnight's Shadow nodded. Her eyes flicked downward as she tucked a stray stand of dark hair behind her ear. "That is entirely a possibility."

"But, sir." Everyone shifted their gaze to Scarlett. "We need to follow this lead. Not just for Shadow but so that we can also locate the terrorists. By going to London, we may be able to draw them out of hiding," she suggested.

"You mean to use her as bait?" the general asked, his filled with more than a little disbelief.

"Somewhat. We need to root out this threat, general. We can't do that by ignoring the only lead we have," Scarlett said, pushing further.

Hawk was silent for a long moment, his eyes straying over the faces of the Alpha Team, as if he was trying to gauge something. Midnight's Shadow found her stomach tightening in apprehension. She even held her breath, waiting for his answer.

After a few, long, agonizing moments of silence, General Hawk spoke. "Alright. Alpha Team. You are to escort Miss Moon and protect her. Search for any clues as to who these terrorists are, what their intentions are, and what their interest in Miss Moon and her family is. Follow any trails that you find, no matter where they lead you. I want regular reports on your progress. Agreed?"

All at once, everyone seemed to straighten in their stance. They all nodded. "Agreed," they said at once.

"Alright then. Pack your gear. Looks like you're going to London."

* * *

A/N: Sorry that this chapter is shorter than usual. Everything that I wanted to put into this chapter ended up being much shorter than I thought it would be. But, I least we have learned much more about Midnight's Shadow-or should I say Katherine. When I was writing it, I couldn't help but feel like she lost her element of mystery and that everything is really obvious now, even though there is still a bunch of stuff about her past that I have to reveal. Is that how you guys feel? Shoot me a PM or write a review to let me know what you think!


	20. London

Midnight's Shadow sat on one of the couches in the lobby of a nice hotel. Scarlett, Breaker, and Snake Eyes sat beside her, each of their bags set on the ground by their feet. The dark haired woman glanced over her shoulder. Heavy Duty was standing at the counter on the far side of the lobby, checking into their rooms. With a sigh, she turned back around and leaned further back into the cushy fabric of the couch.

They had arrived in London about an hour ago, all of them dressed in plain street clothes-all except for Snake Eyes, that is. Needless to say, everyone looked exhausted. Everyone except for Shadow. She felt an excitement welling up inside her. Her past was within her reach. They were in the place where she was born, where she lived with her family before…

She paused in her thoughts. Before everything else happened. For the entire plane ride, she sifted through the possible theories of what had happened to her father and her after they supposedly disappeared off the face of the earth. Where did they go? What did they do? Why did they leave? Did they really leave because someone was out to get their family? Had her father really created something that drew these terrorist's attention? Midnight's Shadow knew that this was all theory. It didn't mean that it was actually what happened, but as far as she could tell, it was the only theory they had. Perhaps they would know more after the investigated her old home.

Midnight's Shadow glanced up briefly as a young couple walked past the four of them. Their gazes shifted in the direction and instantly locked upon the masked face of Snake Eyes, seated just beside her. The ninja's head turned slightly, the visor of his mask pointed in their direction. The couple seemed momentarily afraid and hurriedly averted their eyes as they quickly made their way out of his sight.

She watched them walk away for a moment before her bright blue eyes shifted to Snake Eyes. "Does it bother you when people do that?" she asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, she began mentally kicking herself. Why did she have to voice every question that popped into her head?

The sound of shifting fabric reached her ears as the black ninja turned his head to look at her. She could feel the intensity of his gaze upon her, even through his dark mask. In answer, he simply shrugged. It was as if he was either saying that he never really cared what people thought or he just never really noticed. Snake Eyes was anything but oblivious, so Midnight's Shadow went with the first one.

"So?" Both Midnight's Shadow and Snake Eyes shifted their gazes from one another to look at Scarlett. The red head leaned forward in her seat, propping her elbows on her knees as she let her chin rest on her hands. "I guess we can't call you Shadow anymore," she said, a light smile playing on her lips. "Should we call you Katherine?"

Midnight's Shadow was silent for a moment as she considered it. Finally, she merely shrugged. "You can call me both, I guess. Doesn't really matter to me. I'll answer to both." Scarlett nodded and began to lean back in her seat. "But," the red head paused, her blue eyes looking back to the woman sitting across from her, "why not call me Kate for sort? Katherine seems to be too long-at least to me."

The corner of Scarlett's mouth tugged up into a smile. "I think we can do that. Kate it is then."

Kate Moon nodded. Her bright blue eyes flicked over to Breaker, who was sitting just on the other side of Scarlett. "Hey, Breaker?" The Moroccan lifted his brown gaze from the phone he held in one hand to look at her. "What did you say my middle name was again?"

Breaker pushed his glasses up a little farther on his nose. "Aithne, is what I believe it was," he replied.

The dark haired woman nodded. "What does that even mean? Is it in a different language?"

Scarlett was the one to answer. The nodding of her red head drew the other woman's attention. "Yes. It's Celtic. It means fire. And now that I think about it, Katherine actually means pure in English, Irish, and Latin. So, put together, your first and middle name mean 'pure fire,'" she told her.

Breaker looked back down to his phone. "Now you're just showing off," he muttered just loud enough for them to hear.

Both Scarlett and Kate turned their gazes on the Moroccan, their expressions amused as they suppressed their laughter. "Awww. Are you feeling a little underappreciated, Breaker?" the dark haired woman asked gently, doing her best to hide her smile.

Once again, the hacker lifted his gaze from the screen of his phone. He glanced briefly over at Scarlett before looking at Shadow. He shook his head. "No," he said in an unconvincing tone. The red head beside him rolled her bright blue eyes and leaned back into the couch, crossing her arms over her chest. As soon as she could no longer see his face, Breaker mouthed the word "yes."

Midnight's Shadow had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the look on the Moroccan's face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snake Eyes shake his head. It was a gesture that seemed to say "I can't believe I know these people." She felt her smile widen, her lower lip slowly escaping the hold her teeth had on it.

Scarlett watched the two of them critically, not knowing what they were reacting to. The smile was no longer on her face as she leaned forward, drawing their gazes. "What's so funny?" she asked.

Kate shook her head. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," she said with her best attempt at a dead pan expression.

The red head appeared as if she was about to press the issue, her mouth opening, when Heavy Duty walked up to them. Her jaw instantly clamped shut as all eyes turned to look at the massive British man. Just by looking at his eyes, Midnight's Shadow could see that he was just as tired as the rest of them. He tossed a key card to Scarlett who caught it easily out of the air. The second he held onto. "Scarlett. You and Shadow get your own room. The rest of us are in the other. Feel free to pay me back for paying for your rooms," he said in a sarcastic tone.

"Thank you, Heavy," Scarlett and Midnight's Shadow said in unison, smiles playing on each of their lips.

The large man rolled his brown eyes. He swiftly bent down, a massive hand wrapping around the handle of his duffel bag, and raised to his full height, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he did so. Without so much as a word, he turned and began to walk away across the lobby-more than likely towards the elevators. The rest of them exchanged sheepish glances at one another before they hurriedly gathered up their own belongings, rose to their feet, and followed the British man to the elevators.

* * *

"Room 233. This is it," Scarlett said. She stopped in front of one of the hotel room doors in the long hallway.

Midnight's Shadow stopped just behind her, taking note of the number 233 carved onto the nameplate on the wooden surface of the door. Just below it, just like with every other hotel door, was a small peephole. Scarlett set her bag down on the floor with a barely audible thud and began to dig through her purse to locate the keycard which she had thrown in there only moments before. Midnight's Shadow cast her gaze about the hallway as she patiently awaited the discovery of the currently missing keycard. The entire hallway was carpeted in a worn red carpet with swirling gold patterns in it that only hotels seemed to find desirable. The walls were a strange pattern of beige pinstripes. Wall lights lit the hallways down for several feet, the only light available for the long hall besides the single windows at each end.

Midnight's Shadow glanced to her left as she saw Heavy Duty open the door to their room. With the click of the handle turning, the three men filed into their room. Snake Eyes briefly glanced over at her, just for a moment, before he proceeded through the threshold. With a loud thud, the door shut behind them.

"Found it!" Scarlett exclaimed triumphantly.

The dark haired woman looked back to her just as she produced a small white card from her purse. She inserted the key into the slot before pulling it out again. A moment later, the light on the handle turned green, signaling that the door was unlocked. The red head's pale fingers wrapped around the handle and pulled down. The door swung inward and the two women proceeded into their room.

It was the way you would expect a hotel room to look. There were two queen size beds, each with neatly folded tan colored sheets and a pile of pillows leaning against the headboards. A nightstand sat between these two beds, bearing a lamp, a clock, and several pamphlets and brochures on its polished surface. Across from the beds was a long dresser with a TV on top sitting at one end and a microwave and mini fridge residing on the other. On the far side right corner of the room was a desk and chair ready for use while in the other corner, by the beds, was a small lounge chair. As Midnight's Shadow proceeded through the door, she noticed a door to her left. She glanced to the side and saw a divided bathroom. There was a sink, counter, and mirror ready for use with a large sliding door closet at their disposal. Looking deeper into the room, she could see a little of the bathroom but not much without the light on.

Walking into the room, Scarlett set her bag down on the nearest bed, closely followed by her purse. The bed jiggled a little with the new weight, the springs in the mattress squeaking quietly in protest. The red head placed her hands on her hips and sighed. She quickly kicked off her shoes before falling face first onto her bed. She let out a tired groan and didn't move again.

Midnight's Shadow smiled a little at the other woman as she walked past. She set her bag down onto the only other available bed. Her hand released the strap letting the full weight of her bag settle onto the bed, which sagged a little. The dark haired woman rolled her shoulder, her muscles grateful for the release from carrying the heavy bag. Similar to Scarlett, Kate kicked off her shoes, kicking them off to the side after she had done so, ensuring that they would not become a tripping hazard. Her bright blue eyes shifted to her right, to the large open window that looked out into London. From where their hotel was situated, she could see the London Eye along with many other buildings in the skyline.

"So…," the dark haired woman began, "what do we do now?"

"We sleep," came the muffled response from Scarlett as she answered through the fabric of the pillow she currently had her face buried into.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She paused for a moment as she heard the sound of someone talking, although it was muffled. Midnight's Shadow turned halfway around, her brow furrowing as she tried to listen closer to discern its source. Scarlett, too, had heard it. She propped herself up on one elbow, sweeping her long red hair over one shoulder as she listened.

Finally, she scoffed. "I can't believe how thin these walls are," she stated in disbelief. "I can hear the boys talking in the other room." Scarlett shook her head, her blue eyes shifting over to Kate's face. "So much for sleeping tonight."

The dark haired woman's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

A smile appeared on her face. "Right. You haven't been out in the field with us before." She jerked her thumb over at the wall that they shared with the other three members of their team. "Heavy Duty snores horribly loud," she told her, emphasizing every word. "You don't really hear it back in the Pit because there are layers of solid rock separating us from his room. Here though," she scoffed and shook her head once more.

"If it's so bad, then how do Snake Eyes and Breaker sleep over there with him?" she inquired, feeling slightly amused.

Scarlett laughed. "Oh they don't. They've tried to wake him up but either he gets pissed at them or he simply doesn't wake up at all. Don't be too surprised if we get a knock on our door in the middle of the night and it is them asking for sanctuary," she grinned.

Midnight's Shadow laughed lightly. She turned back around, turning her attention to the view from their window once more. From the other room, she could hear the noise of their TV, the sounds changing as they presumably flipped through the channels. From their own room, she heard the sound of the fabric of Scarlett's bed rustle as the other woman probably laid herself down upon it in a similar fashion as she had before.

As the dark haired woman looked out the window, admiring the look as the sun began to set over the city, she couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since she had last gazed upon a sunset in London. Had it been since the day her father had taken her away after her mom had died? Or had she returned sometime later?

As these thoughts crossed her mind, questions began to form in the forefront of her mind. This made her want to voice them to a currently exhausted Scarlett. "Hey Scarlett?"

"Hmm?" came the response.

"Do you think while we are here, we can go and explore the city a little?" she asked in a careful tone.

"What do you mean? Like touristy stuff?" the red head questioned for clarification.

Midnight's Shadow nodded, even though she knew Scarlett wasn't looking at her. "Yeah. I mean, I know we're here to learn more about my past and everything, but does that really mean that it has to be all business. We could go and do something fun." She gestured out the window. "Like we could go on the London Eye, for example."

Scarlett let out a heavy sigh. The sound of shifting fabric reached Midnight's Shadow's ears as the red head raised herself once more but she didn't turn around to look at her, instead keeping her gaze fixated out the window. "We could," Scarlett said finally, "but we still, technically, on the clock. That doesn't mean we can't do anything fun though." She paused for a moment. "I thought you would want to see your old house first before anything else."

Kate crossed her arms over her chest as she shrugged. "I do. I just don't want it to feel like I'm dragging you guys around on some wild goose chase. I thought this could be an opportunity for you guys to have some fun too."

Scarlett laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it, Shadow. We don't mind. It's our job to help you."

Midnight's Shadow inwardly flinched. So they were only helping her because it was their job?

"But," Scarlett continued, "I think I also speak for the boys when I say that we're also doing this so that we can help you as well. So if you want to do something then I'm sure we can make time."

The dark haired woman turned around to look at the other woman, a grateful smile on her face. "Thanks." The smile on her face faded a little. "Actually…"

"Don't tell me you wanted to do something now. We agreed that we'd start tomorrow."

"No, no. I actually have something different in mind."

* * *

A/N: So SORRY for the long wait! Life got REALLY hectic! Work, family, remodeling a house to sell, and trying to start writing a book of my own took up all my time! But I'm back now and hope to start updating regularly. It's sad to think that I wanted to be to the end of the first movie by the time the second one came out on dvd. Oh, well. I'm hoping that after I buy it, it will restore some of my interest and help me start cranking out chapters again. Fingers crossed!

As always, welcome to all my new followers and favorites! PLEASE REVIEW!


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